Her tears don't fall, they crash around me
by Miss Ragdoll
Summary: "Serves me well, yeah, you've made a good job right here, tantei-san…" And with this he let the rain wet his face.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everybody, so much since last time I wrote something... This is my first story involving Detective Conan, and I got the inspiration while waiting for the 14th film to be on theaters. Unluckily, I won't be watching it until some fansub translates it, so meanwhile, and with the help of the last anime/manga chapters and some openings/endings I thought of this story. I'm rating it T, you'll see why ;)

Also, I'm a fan of ShinxRan, so this T might not be for KidxRan, sorry XD

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me believe me I would have put and end to this long ago xD please!)

ENJOY! ^_^

**14th film: Ran and Kid are on the roof. What is happening? What had led them there?**

* * *

… _**Her tears don't fall, they crash around me.**_

_Shinichi POV**  
**_

I saw it, I saw it clearly as if for the first time. How many times had she cried over me, how much pain have I inflicted on her? How could I possibly redeem myself for all I've done? I don't even know if there's an answer, not even now. As I watch her from the distance, guilt and jealousy eating me alive. She deserved love, but what if it's not me the one who can give it to her? Should I "hand" her over someone who can make her happy? … NO! How would anyone else but me love her, no one can love her as I do! But then again I find myself unable to show her. Leaving her alone when she needs me the most. And she cries, and despairs, and curses. Why does she wait for me? Why do I make her wait for me… If only I could erase that pain from her.

"You're…. not him." Ran's voice sounded as if stating a fact she already knew. That the man in front of her was not Shinichi, but Kaito Kid.

"Maybe I'm, maybe I'm not. What would you do, ojoosan?"

"… close my eyes."

And so she did. She let herself feel and stopped thinking. And tears streamed her face, washing away her pain. But there were more, so pain would never end.

"… Boku wa…"

"Dame! Onegai, dame… let me believe you're him, just for a little while, only for this moment, so I can breathe without pain, so I can remember what living is without this burden that is my injured heart. I don't mind what happens later, but for now please, stay like this."

Her words were filled with a kind of pain that raised goose bumps into Kaito's skin. His heart also skipped a beat. If someone is able to love so strongly, so powerfully that hurts… what else is to do? Could he be able to soothe her?

"…OK."

And with this he also stopped thinking. As if love filled both auras, he let himself be and found himself hugging her while her arms clung on his neck. Her breathing was uneven, her lips were extremely close, and the moisture of her eyes was reflected on the marks her tears had let on her cheeks. She had closed her eyes, whatever happens was on Kid's roof. And he found himself unable to stop. That girl's feelings had took onto him as a summer storm, unexpectedly, powerful. As if magnets attraction, he took the inches that separated both lips and crushed them smoothly. What happened next none of them was prepared to overcome it.

Shinichi broke down. Nobody knew he was there, that he has been there the whole time. Watching, unable to do anything to stop what was happening. Full of guilt and regrets. What right had him to jump and proclaim she was his? How? Would he explain who he was? Or would he behave like Conan, like the child that accidentally found them? No, he was paralyzed with the feeling of helplessness. He deserved that pain. He deserved way more, for not being by her side.

"_Nee ran-neechan, why are you so gloomy?"_

_She looked at the boy and faked a smile._

"… _he never calls anymore. Maybe he has already forgotten about me."_

"_AH! No, no I don't think so… Shinichi-niichan might be on a difficult case again, so he can't…"_

_But he couldn't keep on this his lame excuses. __Her tears again, that tired expression, left him speechless. As time had went on he had forgotten to call, for he could see her everyday, and she had secluded her heart and stopped speaking about how much it hurt her. So when that morning he found her like this, she had thought she was alone and she could cry freely._

After those events Shinichi couldn't dare to call her. What was more selfish, to phone her as if he had suddenly remembered her, or to stay silent? So he chose to keep silent, for he had no words to fix up his mistakes. And now all he had messed up, everything he had caused, had burst in his face.

"Serves me well, yeah, you've made a good job right here, tantei-san…"

And with this he let the rain wet his face.

* * *

Reviews will be appreciated to know if you want me to go on ^__^ thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! I'm back, and I intend to keep on writing this story until I watch the film, and beyond! xD

By the way, the usual disclaimer:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me there would be more romance, for G-d's sake, you only get to see fluffy things in the openings/endings!)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

The days after the zeppelin adventure were hell. Shinichi couldn't make himself act natural in front of Ran, and Ran closed herself in her room, most of the time staring into space, and avoiding eating.

That night Shinichi decided to behave like Conan and nothing else. To end with this suffering and free the space he has been keeping on Ran's heart, so she could love whoever she wanted. Even if that killed him. The house resembled so much the house of the living dead even Kogoro noticed. Eri tried to talk with Ran, and got nothing but silences. She was tired of speaking about her circumstances. She wouldn't speak to anyone, not even to Conan, who had finally moved to Agasa's house.

Shinichi wasn't anywhere better. He had to move with Agasa because seeing Ran like this broke his heart. And he had to deal with his everyday things, like going to school and fake interest on whatever people said. It wasn't easy, so when someone was close to notice he was faking, he would ran away with an excuse. School was hell, damn brats.

"You know, it's extremely annoying to see you mopping around like this. It's been 5 days, get over it already."  
Haibara blocked Shinichi's view of the ceiling.

"How long do you plan to stay like this?"

"It's only been 2 hours since I got home from school. Leave me alone."  
Shinichi put his arm blocking his eyes.

"What if I don't want to?"

"You're in my room, that alone should mean some privacy for me, don't you think?"

"It's not only me, professor is also worried for you."

"And still he gives me privacy…"

"Annoying brat."

Shinichi removed his arm from his face and looked at Haibara.  
"First, you're the annoying one. Second, I'm not planning anything, I'm just letting life go on. And third…"

"Yeah?"

"What I do it's none of your business. Get the hell out of here."  
With that Shinichi rolled to the wall side and avoided visual contact with Ai.

"Honestly, you're a brat. It's you who decided to settle things like this…"

"Don't you dare!!"  
Shinichi woke with a start and eyed Haibara angrily. She remained calm.

"Don't you dare saying this is what I get for what I've done, for the starters you were the one to warn me not to say who I was!"

"Do you always do what your mother tells you?"

"Don't play games with me, Shiho Miyano. I did it to protect her, more than anyone else!"  
Shinichi lowered his head and muffled a sob.

"Then accept the consequences. You should have known from the beginning that if I couldn't develop a cure for the APTX 4869 you'd have to remain like this. It's not my fault you were building false hopes on you and her all this time. You weren't realistic on your possibilities."  
Haibara let out a sigh and sat next to Shinichi.  
"Look, I know what you feel, maybe not to the depths you feel it, but what I try to say is that you only have two options from now on."

Shinichi lifted his head and looked at her. No hope was in his eyes.

"You can overcome this or fake you've overcome it, and go on with Conan's life for everybody's sake, even for her;"  
Shinichi smiled without happiness.

"Or you can go away."  
The smile left his face the moment she voiced it. It didn't take him a second to consider the option. Unbearable. He couldn't live without her.  
"I can't."

"Well, you're gonna have to consider this option if you can't recover from this. If you accept to let her go on with her life, you have to stay away from her. And if you can't keep a distance emotionally on her, then you'll have to stay away from her physically."  
With that Haibara woke from his side and put her hand on his shoulder.  
"Think about it, will you? For your sake."

She looked at the man in front of her, and left the room, closing the door behind her, not looking back.

The afternoon led to the evening and the night, and when the dawn came, Shinichi left his room. Haibara was sipping slowly a cup of coffee when he sat at the couch with her.

"I see you haven't slept at all." Haibara said noticing the bags under his eyes.

"Nope, nothing at all."

"What are you going to do?"

There was a silence. Shinichi put on a tired, defeated smile.

"Haibara… do you have any remains of the APTX 4869 antidote?"

She eyed him suspiciously, and he avoided eye contact.

"Yes, I still have some. Why do you ask?"

"I'm gonna put an end to this." 

* * *

So… how's is it going? Do you like it? What do you think Shinichi's referring to? Muahahah you'll see very soon ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Hi hi hii! How have you been doing? I'm really excited with the film, and I can't get to watch anything else but previews! So sad That's why I'm reading Kaito Kid's stories, just in case, but oh well, Shinichi's first in my heart XD

Speaking about the devil… if there's any AokoxKaito fan reading my fanfic after reading this chapter she most probably would intend to kill me. ^^U

Let's go on with the usual disclaimer:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me Ran would have kept her original hair from the first chapters! .)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

Ran woke up with the first rays of light. She washed her face, dressed up in her uniform and prepared breakfast.  
Kogoro couldn't believe it.

"Ran, are you OK?" He stared at his daughter as if she was an apparition, while she put the breakfast on the table and sat with his father.

"Mmmh"  
Was all she said. And then she smiled. One week was all it took to Ran to get the strength enough to fake happiness to put on the show for everybody. She wouldn't let anyone else worry for her. It was enough of her friends trying to visit her, of Sonoko trying to comfort her, of her mom worrying sick trying to get her to live together, and her father treating her as if she would break any moment. She would be strong for all of them, and live for all of them. And that meant closing her heart.

Sonoko also stared at her as if seeing a pig fly.  
"Are you sure you're OK? I mean, just yesterday, well, you broke down before me…"  
Sonoko tried to look casual while saying this, knowing any slip could affect her dear friend.

"Mmmh, daijobu Sonoko, I'm fine now." And she smiled.

Sonoko stopped.  
"What's wrong?" Ran looked at Sonoko who stared at her in disbelief.

"I'm not buying it."

"Aw Sonoko don't be like this. I hoped you'd help me."  
Ran tilted her head to one side looking cute while smiling. Sonoko looked at her and let out a sigh.

"OK, you can try to lie to me, but you won't make me believe you're fine. Also I don't know who you're putting this show for, but as your friend I'd beg you not to pretend with me." Sonoko got closer to Ran.

"What else do I have, if not this show?" Ran smirked.

"Ran…"

"I kissed another man, I let myself go and just after it I lost consciousness and fainted. When I woke up I was alone on the terrace of the zeppelin. I'd never felt so rejected and helplessness in all my life." Ran started to sob, tears rolling down her cheeks. "And what for? For the illusion of someone who resembled Shinichi? For a kiss with someone I don't even know who is? I woke up and was alone, and everyday I wake up and feel an important piece of me is lacking, because I feel as if I had betrayed someone I don't even know if he loves me!... He doesn't even answer my calls or mails."

Sonoko hugged her friend

"I don't know what else to do Sonoko, I love him and everyday gets harder to keep up with this, waiting for him, I don't even know what I'm waiting for… I thought if I got to see him again I'd know, but it's been 3 months since I spoke to him, and even longer since I last saw him, I can't go on, I can't…!"

They stayed like this for some minutes while Ran's sobs erupted into cries and then slowly turned to sobs again.

"Are you a little bit better now?"

"Mmmh, arigatou Sonoko."

"Nah, don't worry, I'm here for you" Sonoko smiled widely "you better count on me whenever you feel like this, don't you dare leaving me out again!"

Ran smiled a sad smile and nodded to her friend. Even if something could comfort her doesn't meant she could smile happily again, it still kept on hurting.

They walked together till the High School entrance when Ran noticed a man standing by the entrance wall. He had a different uniform than them, and seemed to be nervous. He would play with the buttons of his jacket or move nervously his feet. As they were approaching Ran started to feel nervousness too, as if, as if… And she stopped dead in tracks.

"Ki… kimi wa…."

The boy lifted his head on a start and a pair of blue eyes looked surprised and then amazed at her through black spiky bangs.

"You know who I am- I mean, you remember me?" there was a strange hope in his voice, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. His eyes focused on hers, that were wide with surprise. They stared at the other for a minute until Sonoko lost her patience.

"Ahem, would someone mind telling me what happens?" Sonoko cleared her throat and looked at Ran, who was mesmerized staring at the boy, same as he was doing. Breaking visual contact wasn't an option. Sonoko cleared her throat strongly this time causing both of them to come back to Earth.

"Well then? Ran?"

"Ah, ah…"

"Ohayou gozaimasu, ojoosan" The boy bowed at Sonoko. "My name is Kuroba Kaito, douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu" and with that he winked at Ran and put a finger on his lips to tell her to keep quiet.

"Ah, douzo…" Sonoko looked at him and smiled as if she was sedated. "I'm Suzuki Sonoko, and my friend is…"

"Oh, I know her" Kaito smiled sweetly at Ran, "Mouri Ran- San, desune?"

Ran blushed.

"Well then Suzuki -San, would you mind lending me your friend for a moment?" Kaito's charms were fully effective on Sonoko, for all she could do was nod and wave bye to a shocked Ran, as Kaito took her by the arm and led her to the park nearby.

They sat on a bench and stared at the other. Seeing Ran would not break the silence, Kaito started to speak.

"So you remember me… don't you?" He smiled amused. That was when Ran broke eye contact and woke from the bench quickly.

"Ahhh no no no, gomen gomen!!" Kaito took her by the arm and sat her down at the bench again as he apologised to her "I never meant to make you feel bad, sorry for this. I was just, well, I felt delighted, seeing you remembered me."

"Kaito… Kid, desune?" Ran raised her gaze slowly as she was speaking until it locked with his. Kaito felt shivers again.

"Ah, that voice, so sweet. Like that night." Kaito smiled a crooked smile and Ran blushed. Her thoughts were a mess: who she had in front was the boy she kissed passionately at the zeppelin, the boy she forced herself to believe his lips belonged to Shinichi, the boy that was a thief and was supposed to run away and never see again... and he was standing there, without his costume, just when she thought the kiss had meant nothing to him…

"Why are you here?" The words left her mouth before she processed them.

"I came to see you." Kaito said this as if it was the most obvious thing. Ran shivered. Now they were even. Both of the feeling something that attracted them one to the other and could not classify. Not for too long.

"…Doushite?"

"Ha?"

Ran's tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. There was a silence, none of them looked at the other, and finally Kaito made the first move. He looked at Ran's hands tightly folded on her lap, and took one of them with his. The contact made electricity run through them at the same time.

Their eyes locked.

"I came because I can't forget that kiss."

* * *

OK….. want more? I have way more here ;) just wait. Things are gonna get interesting in a not good way from now on.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everybody! Nice to see you keep on reading this ^^

I would like to thank x-streakz-X-the-X-werecat-x , Akemi-Chan 815 , and MsBenzedrine for their reviews, I liked them a lot, also don't worry x-streakz-X-the-X-werecat-x , I'll be careful with Kaito but keep up with me, because I think the same as you; he's a great guy. But... well, you'll see ;)

Well, now with the action: if you were waiting for real drama, I've got it right here.

Bring the usual disclaimer:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I would have never picked these actors to make the Live Action ____U)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

Shinichi put slowly, carefully his clothes and belongings in his bed, as if following a ritual. Once he had it all above his blanket he stared at the picture in his night table. Slowly again, as if it hurt him to even approach to it, took it and turned it upside down in the table. The time was coming, he better do the call now.

Ran arrived home latter than she would have been expected, but Kogoro wasn't there to ask her and she felt relieved. She wouldn't have been able to explain where she's been all day long. In fact, everything was a blur, a strange, full of light blur. She closed her bedroom door, and sat on her bed, trying to put her thoughts in order. To begin with, she hadn't gone to the first classes, which provoked a major incident with her friend Sonoko who prepared for the rest of the day and intensive interrogatory she had barely been able to avoid. She was grateful she could escape alive.  
"I'll deal with her later." Next issue.

Kuroba Kaito. Kaito Kid. He was waiting for her at the HS entrance, and…

"Uh?"

Her keitai started to ring.

"Figures… Sonoko again, that girl is never going to give up on gossiping…" Ran smiled.

She woke from the bed to pick the keitai from the bag on the table and just when she was going to flip it open she paid attention to the caller. And her world spun. As if it was a joke she couldn't believe what she saw. Trembling she answered.

"… Mo.. moshi mosh…"

"Ran."

Like a lightning, as powerful as it struck in her his voice, and ran thought her every nerve, leaving her unable to stay on her two feet. She sat on her bed.

"Shinichi." She said his name as if she hadn't been allowed to say it for a long time.

"Hey, yes it's me. How have you been?"

Ran was a mess. Just now, in the only moment she wasn't thinking of him, he called her. Words fought to escape her mouth but her lips wouldn't move.

"Ran are you OK? Is it a bad moment to call? I can always call later…"

"Ah! NO!" Ran's voice finally came out. "No, no, it's fine, more than fine, actually, it's perfect. Well, ah… well, how nice to hear from you." Ran smiled. She heard him chuckling.

"Yeah, sorry for not calling you in so long, I deserve severe punishment."

"Like hell you need, just come back!" Ran's angry voice was mixed with happy laughter.

"Ah, about that… I'm already here."

"…" Silence.

"Ran?"

"What?"

"I'm here…at home…?"

"Since when!?!?"

"A couple of hours, more or less."

"And you call me now!?"

"I had to rearrange some things, the house was a mess…"

Again silence. He couldn't even hear Ran's breath. Shinichi sighed.

"OK, I'm gonna do things right and apologise properly. Ran, would you like to come with me to the Amusement Park so we can have a lovely meeting?"

"Don't move. I'm going to your house now."

"Ahhh no no, I'm not there now, you see, I was overconfident and I'm already there…"

"…There?"

"At the Amusement Park."

Silence again.

"I wish I could see your face." Shinichi's voice sound amused, and then he added: "I wish I could see you." It sounded more like a faint wish than an affirmation. Ran came back from her astonishment.

"OK. Where?"

"At the main door, same as last time, you haven't forgotten, right?" He chuckled again.

"I'll be there as soon as I can… you promise, right?"

"Uh?"

"You'll be there…?"

"Of course."

Ran closed her mobile phone with a quick wrist move and in a rush picked the first dress in the wardrobe, her phone and wallet, a purse and grabbing the keys sprinted out home running to the place Shinichi said he would be.

The sun had just set in and the light posts still weren't on, so the streets were in a penumbra. Ran barely caught the last bus that lead to the Amusement Park, and when it stopped in front of the bus stop she sprinted to the main gate, where he said he would be. When she looked around and didn't see him she started to panic, and then a pair of hands covered her eyes.

"Who am I?"

Ran spun frantically just to see him. He was exactly as she remembered him. He hasn't changed a bit; dressed in an outfit that resembled very much the one he wore last time they have been at this place. His hair looked a bit messy though, as if he had also rushed to come here. He was gorgeous, she thought.

Just when she was going to give in and hug him, in a quick move he took from his back a bouquet of flowers and put it between them, avoiding her to see his face.

"Sorry I was late, I thought this would be a good idea in the last moment, so I had to rush and find a flower shop near here. Did I scare you?"

Ran jumped to him and both fell to the floor.

"Shinichi! Shinichi…" She started to cry, heavily, as if he could disappear any moment. "Baka, baka!! You did really scare me! I thought, I thought…"

"Well, sorry then. And I thought it was a good idea to get flowers to help me to apologise better to you..."

"You needn't! Baka… baka Shinichi, I only wanted to see you."

Ran hid her face in his chest and Shinichi put his arms around her. Ran lifted his head quickly.

"I also missed you a lot."

"So, how about going to a nice place and having a drink?"

Shinichi smiled and Ran followed him, very happy.

....

"So, what did you want to talk to me?"

Ran left her glass of coke in the table and stared at him. Shinichi was a bit taken backwards.

"You sure are inquisitive."

"Almost two years. And I only got to see you a couple of times, always less than a day. I'm sure angry at you."

She took a sip at her coke and so did Shinichi.

"I've really no excuses. I'm sorry."

He sounded defeated. A faint smile appeared on his face, but disappeared soon.

"Ran, there's something very important I have to talk to you."

"Aham."

"Not right here. Would you come with me for a little walk? I fear I've got… not very much time left."

Ran panicked.

"What do you mean? You're not staying?"

"I fear I'm not. I only came back to talk to you face to face. And be honest."

Ran's fears built for so long appeared all together.

"Do you mind following me?"

As if she was a zombie, she nodded and followed him to a quiet place in the Park, a place she remembered well…

"There is…the spot, two years ago, before you ran away."

"Yes, there is. Here's where I got into the most difficult case in my life. I still haven't solved it, and I'm afraid it'll take me a long to time to get it over."

He faced Ran and took her hands in his. They were cold.

"Ran, I need you to understand this is an extremely difficult decision for me, and even if you don't understand it, I need you to allow me, to let me do it."

"Shinichi, what are you talking about?"

Ran was trembling with fear. It couldn't be, it wasn't possible!

"I'm leaving Ran. But this time will be different."

There was a dramatic pause, as if he was trying to gain some composure.

"I'll not come back."

Ran felt as if she had been drained of blood. She lost balance and fell on her knees.

"What?"

"I'm not coming back, Ran."

TO BE CONTINUED...

* * *

Oww c'mon, give me a break XD soon you'll know lots of things that seem to be missing, I'm gonna tell you all!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello people! How are you doing? I'm doing great, thank you xD Writing this story has become a full time job and I couldn't be happier XD Well, now, more angst!

Thank you x-streakz-X-the-X-werecat-x , Akemi-Chan 815 , MsBenzedrine and withallheartandsoul for reviewing.

The disclaimer, of course:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I would have avoided that opening where Conan is dancing para-para oUUU)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

"No way…"

Ran fell to the floor. Everything around her was spinning, her thoughts where a mess, a sentence swirling and fighting to come through her lips. Was she brave enough?

"You won't come back."

There was a silence. Ran's hopes were high again, maybe she hadn't understood well…

"That's right."

Realization hit her like a wall of brick. This date, so rushed, his actions, his words, everything was settled for him to confess her… he wasn't coming back.

"Ever?"

Silence again. Shinichi looked away from Ran, and clenched his fists. Then slowly released them and looked at her. She was a mess. Tears began to form in her eyes, which looked at him confused, sad… tired.

"I'm not gonna give you false hopes, I've already hurt you so much. I'm not coming back. And that's all."

"Is it a case you can't solve? Because if you need help you can always ask Hattori kun, or police… you can't you be solving a case out home for the rest of your life, leaving friends and family like that, can you?!"

Ran woke up from the ground and looked at him, who avoided her eyes.

"You're leaving all of us for who knows how long for a case? That's what you mean?"

"Yes."

"Can't you solve it here?"

"No."

"… And what about calling?"

"Too dangerous. Better forget about it. The case I'm… may be my last case."

Ran launched herself against him.

"What do you mean, it may be your last one? What the hell do you mean? Shinichi!!"

She held onto him grabbing him from the collar of his shirt and making him face her.

"Forget about the case! Come back!! There will be others, it doesn't matter a single case you don't solve, it's meaningless, but please don't risk your life, come back, I need you…"

Ran rested her head on Shinichi's chest while leaving her hands from his collar and rested them there too..

"I'm begging you, I need you… I can't go on."

"Ran."

Shinichi lifted her chin with his hand. He made her look at him in the eye.

"I can't."

It was definitive. He was saying farewell to everything, to everybody, to her.

"Please…"

Her small voice caught his attention, tears streaming down her face and falling to the ground, never ending.

"Ran, I…"

"I love you, Shinichi."

His heart skipped a beat. Inches away from him, in a defeated voice, as the last resort of someone who knows she has lost everything, her words were like a bright light in a dark night. Shinichi trembled. Seconds ticked away, Ran wouldn't move, wouldn't stop to cry. And Shinichi knew his time was running out. But he couldn't get to look at his watch. Her words were like a glass of water in the dessert.

Just when he was going to give in, to confess to her, to hold her tight and retreat from everything, a terrible pain stabbed him.

He was out of time.

Ran noticed his outburst and held him.

"Shinichi, Shinichi!! What's wrong, Shinichi?"

_Shit, SHIT! I've to__ get away from here as soon as possible, how long… how long have I been Shinichi? Just a little bit more, please…_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

A striking pain ran through his body making him fall on the ground.

"Shinichi!!"

And then it stopped. The pain came to an abrupt halt, and became a fever, a feeling of nausea, of disorientation.

"Gotta get out of here…"

"I'll call the doctor, I'll bring ambulances here, please hold on Shinichi!!"

"No!"

She stopped just when she was going to dial the emergency number. She looked at him searching the reason for his denial.

"No, please, stop. It's … it's something that happens to me from time to time, it'll pass, don't worry" Shinichi muffled a cry, and regained his composure, "Ran, it's too dangerous for me to stay here, I may be putting everybody in an unnecessary danger, and that's something I wouldn't forgive myself for: I won't allow anybody to get hurt, especially you. I could get all of you into a sure dead."

"What is happening to you, Shinichi?" Ran felt useless watching him toss in agony and not being able to do anything.

"It's a side effect of what I'm into. That's why I can't stay. I won't put you in danger."

"I'll follow you!"

"No!" Shinichi looked scared at her and saw she was dead serious about it. He had to be more persuasive, and had to do it now. It was a matter of seconds; no one knew how long he would stay like Shinichi, and he wasn't willing to transform into Conan in front of her.

An exit was in front of him, and it seemed the only one. Would he be able to hurt her even more? Another stab of pain.

_Remember who you are doing this for; you are doing this for her._

"You can't come with me, Ran."

Ran flinched.

"Yes, of course I can! I can follow you wherever you go!"

_Damn… you pig-headed girl…_

"I don't want you to come with me, Ran."

She stopped moving as soon as his words left his lips. He wouldn't dare to look her in the eye; that would blow off his charade. He was utterly conscious of the pain he was inflicting on her.

Ran felt as if someone had stabbed her right in her heart. She couldn't breath. His words were like poison, every word, every action running like poison through her body, leaving her unable to move, unable to think of something to reply. Words left her lips before she realized, like a thought that was voiced by mistake.

"Why?"

"It's your feelings Ran. I can't lie to you; I don't feel the same for you that you feel. And I'm not going to allow you to follow me just because you love me; I won't love you back. I'm sorry, you've always been my best friend… but nothing more."

Rejection. Rejection ran through her like electric current, separating her from Shinichi in a start. Shinichi woke up from the ground while the pain was still bearable and held a hand for Ran.

"C'mon Ran, let's go home."

She couldn't dare to look at him. Ran took his hand and he lifted her from the ground easily, though Ran lost balance and crashed with Shinichi's chest. One second. It could have been more, but he thought quickly; he couldn't allow it. As comfortable, as healing as it was, he couldn't allow her to build any hopes. He separated her from his chest.

"Should we?" Shinichi forced himself to smile at her and put a mask of normality when she looked at him.

Ran felt herself die. As a doll that's been carried away by her owner, she followed Shinichi obediently.

A little while later, he stopped.

"Here we are."

Ran lifted her head. They were in front of Ran's house. How…?

"…Already?" As surprised as she was, her voiced was monotone.

"Yeah." Shinichi was on the verge of breaking down. The pain of the transformation has been coming and leaving in strange patterns. But the pain of seeing Ran like this…

Silence surrounded them and none of they knew what to say. But time was running out. Shinichi felt every time weaker. Pain had become bearable enough to walk, but it wasn't normal; he was sweating and noticed something was changing inside him.

It was time to say goodbye. Pain got worse.

"Ran, I'm going. Will you be OK?"

Ran didn't answer. Shinichi took a deep breath and turn around. But something stopped him; Ran was clutching his jacket firmly.

"Please…"

"I don't love you, Ran."

Ran released her grasp slowly, and finally let her arm fall in defeat.

"Uso. Usotsuki." Ran started to cry. "You always told me you'd come back, and then we would talk, that what I wanted to ask and what you had to ask were the same…"

Shinichi remained silent while Ran cried and spoke. "You lied to me. Liar! Liar… liar…"

Unable to soothe her, Shinichi started to walk with difficulty to his house, fully conscious the antidote was loosing effect by seconds. Feeling each step lead him to his dead instead to salvation he just walked wishing to vanish from Earth, until he reached Agasa's house and fell to the ground, worn out.

* * *

aham… what now? Kaito Kid will appear in the next chapter and will solve some of your doubts about his conversation with Ran! Yay! XD


	6. Chapter 6

Hello dear readers, how are you? Well, I'm anxious, every day I pass without being able to see the film makes more anxious!! . So let's get on with the fanfiction ;)

Also, thank you very much to x-streakz-X-the-X-werecat-x , Akemi-Chan 815 , MsBenzedrine, 1412 karasu and withallheartandsoul for reviewing. I loved your comments! Thank you!!

The very much needed disclaimer:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I would have measured better the characters, Conan's height is the same as half of Ran's leg, how can it be?)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

"_We sure are going to get ourselves into trouble because of this__…"_

Kaito Kid sat on the roof of the highest building of the Beika district, star-gazing.

"Tomorrow will be the day..."

He smiled remembering something, and then moved his head to both sides.

"I swear that girl would be the death of me."

:::::::::::::::::

_Two days ago_

"We sure are going to get ourselves into trouble because of this."

Kaito said, like out of the blue. Five minutes of silence were enough for building a tension someone had to break.

Ran looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, of course you seem to have forgotten why I told you I came here."

"… Not really. But I'm petty confused."

"Same as me. You know, I always thought I would share my first kiss with my childhood friend."

That caught Ran by surprise; the way the conversation had turned into a casual tone even being so important. She stared at Kaito, surprise and regret clearly in her face.

"Ahh no no, please, don't feel bad, it was just a voiced thought, it wasn't your fault."

"But it was…" Ran lowered her head. "I… I almost forced you to kiss me."

"Believe me when I say that if I hadn't wanted to kiss you at that moment, I wouldn't have done it."

Ran stared at him in complete disbelief.

Kaito lifted his head and let out a sigh.

"You know, at that moment… it wasn't as if I had always loved you or anything, in fact, it was the first time I've actually seen you that close," he let out a chuckle, "but I felt attracted to you, all you didn't say, what your body language told me… your eyes." He looked at her. "I suddenly couldn't thought of anything else. And I'd swear you couldn't too."

Ran blushed, ashamed.

"And then… that kiss. I swear for a first kiss it was wonderful." Kaito smiled in spite of himself. "I think you enjoyed it too."

"O - of course not" I was thinking of another person at the moment."

"Mmm that might have been at the beginning."

"Why are you so confident about that?"

Ran was angry at him, but mostly at herself. How dared him being so sassy!

"Well, I think you've been the first to be that near of Kaito Kid, and I can fully assure you've recognised me today. So you paid close attention to MY face while kissing me."

Ran's blush became tomato red and she hid her face between her hands.

"I want to disappear…"

"Aw, c'mon, you're awfully cute when you are so embarrassed!"

Ran woke from the bench to the utter astonishment of Kaito and hit a tree with her fist. She made a hole. Kaito's mouth fell.

"Dare to say anything else."

"As afraid as I can be now, I won't retreat myself from a single thing I've said; you're cute even when you destroy trees."

And then he started to laugh. The situation was so strange he couldn't stop, and without being able to help herself, Ran started to laugh too.

"This is so stupid…"

"Yeah, I know. You resemble very much my childhood girlfriend…"

Ran stopped laughing. What was that feeling? Jealousy?

Kaito woke from the bench and took her hand.

"Listen, right now we both have someone we love. I know this kiss was completely out of control, that's why I've got something extremely important to ask you. And I need you to answer honestly."

Ran gulped. His expression was serious.

"You love Kudo-kun. I love my childhood friend. But that kiss changed something in me. What did it do to you?"

Ran stared at him utterly shocked. After some seconds she answered as honestly as she could.

"I was looking for him in you. I was desperate to feel something that resembled love in someone that resembled him. I'm sorry."

"Are you sure that's all?"

Ran didn't answer. She had tried as much as possible to forget what happened that night, and now, all her doubts laid on the table; she had to remember every detail of that night and be absolutely sure of what happened.

The result made her gasp. Kaito looked at her intently.

"I remember…" Ran smiled inwardly. "What happened that night."

There was a silence. Then Ran looked at Kaito and smiled at him, a content, sad smile. He blushed slightly.

"You told me you might not be him. And I closed my eyes, and imagined. There was nothing of you, the Kaito I've just met, that attracted me to kiss you but your resemblance with him. I'm sorry."

"Ah… too bad, too bad." Ran looked at him worried, and then Kaito smiled widely. "so that means my charms aren't effective on you, Ran- chan?"

Ran overcame the shock and smiled in return to his affirmation.

"Mmmh. You can't 'enchant' me, white knight."

They both laughed, and Kaito sat on the bench, letting out a sigh.

"Well then, now we have to make things clear. For one," he looked at Ran, who sat with him, "you are the only person who knows who I'm. I'd like to keep this as it is."

Ran stared at him astonished.

"You mean your childhood love doesn't know??"

"Eh eh EH! Don't call her that!" Kaito blushed. "And, no, she still doesn't know." He pouted.

"Ah? Doushite?"

"Because she's a freak of justice, just like her father; if he knew of my secret identity he wouldn't think twice, he would get me into jail as soon as possible."

Ran's eyes were wide with shock.

"Na… Nakamori-keebun?!"

Kaito smiled.

"You sure are witty."

"But why? I mean… don't you think she would understand why you rob?"

"How so?" Kaito looked at her amused.

"You always give back what you steal."

Kaito smiled without happiness.

"That's a very personal and difficult thing to explain. You see, I'm not doing this for pleasure; it has brought me more trouble than fun... wait, no. But still."

They both laughed.

"So you steal jewels because you're looking for something… or someone."

Now Kaito stared at her astonished.

"You! Stop reading my thoughts!"

"I'm not! Wait, what?"

"So you are able to reveal my deepest secrets in how much? Less than two hours…"

"Already two hours!?"

"…And you aren't a detective, nor a police, less a physician… wow girl, you sure are amazing."

"I'm sorry?" Ran blushed.

"OK, we need to set this clear: you under no circumstances can tell what we've talked here."

"Of course I won't! Don't you trust me?"

They stared at themselves. Kaito shrugged.

"I'll give you that." He sat facing her. "Look, what you know is extremely dangerous. And not because police could go and get me; believe me, that would be the least of my problems. Who I'm sidetracking is much, much dangerous than that. If they got me, I'd be dead."

Ran gasped.

"That is all I can tell you, so for our safety, you can't tell anything to anybody, not your friends, not your father… not your boyfriend."

Ran nodded assuring.

"OK. I'll keep the secret."

Kaito smiled. "I said your _boyfriend_."

Ran looked at the ground. Kaito quickly felt bad for what he said.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to…"

"No, it's OK. I also wish you luck with your _girlfriend_."

He smiled.

"Yeah… I'll need it. Just where it itches." And winked at her.

"Well then, I guess this is a goodbye, Ran-san."

"Better say a 'see you', Kid-sama?"

They both smiled.

"Ah, Ran-san!" Kaito shouted, just when she was leaving her way back to High School.

"Don't worry for you boyfriend, he's nearer than you think. And he cares."

With that, he bowed at a confused Ran and threw a smoke bomb to the ground, disappearing after it.

"Maataku… that magician." Ran smiled in spite of herself. "He sure is a good guy. Ah! What did he meant by 'nearer'?"

Ran smiled and turned back to the High School, without noticing a certain thief was looking at her as the jewel we hadn't been able to steal... yet.

* * *

What do you think? Did you like it? Next issue, I'd tell you about what happened in the first chapter of my story, the after kissing scene *muahahah* and be prepared for the action!


	7. Chapter 7

My, my… Hello everybody, I see you are here reading me again, thank you for this ^^!!

Also, I saw as I was writing I could not introduce the zeppelin scene yet, so you'll have to wait till next chapter (I'm evil XD).

Many many thanx to my reviewers, Kes Quest my newest one, thank you for your post, I felt special ^^. Also sorry for making you emotional x-streakz-X-the-X-werecat-x and withallheartandsoul, but I also felt like this while writing so I'm happy to be able to share this emotions with you. Many thanks to 1412 karasu and to all of you that keep on reading my fic!

Pd: Kes Quest... did you red my thoughts? ^^ you'll see why

Things are gonna get very complicated from now on, so be prepared for the worst, because humour ends at the end of this chapter.

The vital disclaimer:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me the school uniforms would resemble Kaito's and Aoko's ones. Yayy cute!! xD)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

As if waking from a coma, when Shinichi opened his eyes and saw the warm light from the sun filling his room, he realized how weak he felt. He had absolutely no will to wake up.

::::::

"How long do you think he plans on staying like this, secluded in his room?"

Haibara saw herself free from work load for the first time in almost 1 year; she wasn't "forced" to produce an antidote anymore. It felt strange not waking and sitting in front of the computer sipping her coffee.

"Don't be so impatient with him, Ai, remember how he reached home yesterday. We can't even imagine how hard it must have been to do what he did, having such strong feelings for this girl, and finding himself forced to leave her. He can't be feeling well that soon."

Agasa was very worried by the state in which he found Shinichi last night, shivering, with high fever and losing consciousness every minute. Two hours later he fainted and stopped being Shinichi to become Conan for what could be the last time. Without the antidote, that wasn't very effective due to over taking, and without Ran, Agasa decided calling Shinichi's parents would be the best option. He also had to find an excuse for Conan, seeing he might not be able to go to school himself and say farewell to everybody. Making up an excuse for Ran would be even more difficult.

"What are you thinking, Agase?"

Haibara looked at him. Both had worried expressions. Well, Haibara was worried, but proud enough to show only how tired she was.

"I have to make up something for Conan not coming back to school and to Ran-kun's house. It's going to be difficult to explain to her, after her loss, that Conan-kun will also be leaving, and without saying farewell."

"Leave that to me."

"Ah... it may not be a good idea Ai-chan, is that... well, she may not be prepared for an eight-year-old girl behaving that maturely."

"I see your point." Haibara finished her coffee. "I'll go ask him first, to know what to say."

"Ah!" By the time he wanted to stop her, she had already gone to Shinichi's room.

"Kudo-kun, are you awake?"

Silence filled his room; Haibara approached the bed.

"Oi, Kudo-kun?"

Shinichi stretched from his slumber and turned to the other side, facing Haibara..  
"Yees?" He yawned and seemed to make an effort not to close his eyes again.

"I'm impressed; you seem much more resolute than yesterday night."

Shinichi opened his eyes and shot a glare at Haibara. Well then, she has done it; after how long it had taken him to concentrate and suppress his distress, to even been able to sleep for 5 minutes, all she needed was to open her little mouth. Honestly, she could be extremely annoying without a clear purpose.

"And I'm honoured;" Shinichi smiled a wicked smile, "did you come aaaall the way to my room just to try getting at me?"

Sarcasm filled the air. Haibara put on a smile exactly as his.

"I came to check at you, and to warn you. Your parents would be arriving in 3 hours."

"Ah, sooka... Ah!?"

Shinichi woke from the bed with a jump and faced Haibara.

"What did you say?"

"They are coming to pick you."

"Why the heck would they... who called them?"

"They did."

"Agase!!" Now Shinichi was fully awake.

......

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Na... Naniiiiiiii???" Kazuha's voice was so loud Ran has to separate the phone from her ear. "He did what?? Ran, why didn't you call me before?"

"I'm sorry Kazuha -chan, I... don't even know what to do. I suppose I didn't want to worry anyone else."

"But I'm your friend!"

"OI! What's wrong, Kazuha? Why are you shouting like that?" Heiji's voice mixed on the phone, apparently now noticing he was also shouting. Now it seemed to be a three-row conversation. So now Hattori also knew.

"It's Kudo, Heiji, Kudo! Jezz you CAN'T trust men!" Kazuha shouted again, obviously annoyed now with all the men in the world.

"Kudo? What happens with Kudo-kun?" Heiji's voice was confused. Could he have come back?

"He left her! He left her!!" Kazuha noticed her outburst and clutched the phone with both hands approaching it to her mouth, to avoid Heiji's interference. "Oh Ran, I'm sorry!!"

"Mmh... it's OK Kazuha..."

"Give it to me!" Heiji's voice sounded on the phone again.

"No, I won't! Hey, don't tickle me! Heiji!!"

"Oi, Heiji there!" Heiji had taken power on the phone, though Ran could hear Kazuha fighting him on the back. "Ran-kun, what happened?"

"He's gone, Hattori-kun. He has a difficult case... and he came to say farewell to me." Ran smiled in spite of herself. She felt pitiful telling everyone her story. Kogoro and Eri had built a common fighting front just in case they found Shinichi. And then cut him into pieces. Sonoko had seriously thought becoming a member of the cutting-into-pieces-that-moron but then decided it would be better to comfort Ran than trying to kill him. For now.

"Where is he now?"

"How could she possibly know? Do you think if she knew she would be at home?!" Kazuha shouted so loud she seemed to be speaking right next to Ran.

"I don't know Hattori-kun... would you... would you help him?" Ran sobbed, "he said he was in the most difficult case of his life, that he could end up... dead." Ran started to cry. "I couldn't stop him, I couldn't."

"Don't worry ran. I'll find him!" Heiji's voice was determined. "Well, then, I'm going! Kazuha, don't expect me for dinner!" And he left the phone.

"Oi, Heiji, Heiji!! Where are you going? Maataku...Ran, if you need something, whatever, just don't hesitate calling me, OK? You sure you don't want me there?"

"Don't worry Kazuha, it would be a long trip and I don't want to disturb you."

"But if you need something call me, promise me!"

"Yeah."

"Bye bye Ran! Heiji!!" And with that Kazuha hung up.

Ran sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything... maybe I should just let him go, as he wanted. But-..." Ran covered her face with the pillow and cried again.

::::::::::::::::::::::

Shinichi stood astonished by the door.

"I don't know why bother asking, but... who the hell are you?"

To Agasa's and Haibara's amazement, Shinichi hadn't greeted his mother; instead he had stood by the door, not allowing her to pass and glaring her as if the devil had tried to enter the house.

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

"My, my... how shrewd, lil' tantei –san." With this Yukiko Kudo smiled satisfied and to the utter astonishment of everybody except Shinichi, grabbed her face and torn it.

"You really have a strange liking in travestite, Kaito Kid."

* * *

Why is Kid at Shinichi's place? And where is Hattori heading to? What do you think will happen next?

Be prepared for the worst!


	8. Chapter 8

Hello wonderful readers, thank you for keep on reading this, you make my day! ^_^

As I said in the previous chapter, action is beginning from now on, as well as drama. But well, humour is necessary, I hope I can make some funny references, just in case.

Thank you x-streakz-X-the-X-werecat-x , Akemi-Chan 815 , MsBenzedrine, withallheartandsoul, 1412 karasu and Kes Quest for reviewing. I'm sorry x-streakz-X-the-X-werecat-x but things are gonna get ugly from now on xD you'll see ;)

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me the BO will appear more often! We are tired of senseless murders, we want BO murders! xD)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

So far: Kaito Kid appeared at Agasa'a house and intended to be Shinichi's mother, Yukiko. Shinichi didn't buy it. Agase almost fell to the floor when she/he torn her/his face, revealing to be Kaito Kid in disguise. Haibara adopted his 'Like I care' pose.

...

Silence and a tension that could be cut with a knife. All that plus a feeling of uneasiness that started to build inside Shinichi.

"How did you know where to find me?"

"You underestimate me, tantei-san." Kaito moved a finger from side to side "tsk, tsk, you just don't know how easy it was to put all pieces together. I hope no one is as smart as me, or else the-ones-we-track-down will surely find you."

Blood left Shinichi's and Haibara's faces. Kid noticed the girl after Agasa.

"Ojoosan, I'm sorry for not having greeted you before, sure such pretty girl must have a name to worship..."

"Shut the hell up."

Everybody stared at Haibara as if she had fired a gun. Kid laughed soundly.

"I like it."

"OK, off with the jokes. What are you doing here? Why are you here? And how the hell did you find me?" Shinichi showed how very little patience he had left.

"This are so many questions to be answered at daylight at such a place... would you mind letting me pass?"

"Do I have another option?" Shinichi spoke through his teeth. This was bad, very bad. If Kid was disguised as Yukiko Kudo that meant what he had discovered wasn't Conan's place, but Shinichi's. And that set very dangerous precedent. Also that sentence ran through his head like gas ignited: 'the-ones-we-track-down'.

"Well then, everyone please take a seat." Kid stood waiting for his audience to sit and then he took a chair and sat. Shinichi shot him a death glare.

"I suppose you may have a question that wants to be voiced first than any other, don't you tantei-san?"

"You know who I am."

"That's not a question, but yes, I know. And it wasn't very difficult; if only I had paid a little bit more of attention at you from the beginning, when I first saw you, I would have found you earlier. But you should be grateful. Now I can warn you."

"Warn me? Follow my trace? What are you talking about?"

"The place I took the information from, by now they would also know who I was looking for. You better run away before they find you."

"Are you talking about the Black Organization, Kaito Kid?"

Shinichi's question led to an uncomfortable silence, followed by a set of nervous looks from Agasa to Shinichi and Haibara.

"Yes."

Shinichi frowned and Haibara couldn't hide his fear.

"How?"

"I better answer you 'why', and then we'll move to 'how', Kudo –kun."

Shinichi glared at him.

"I started to look for you after the zeppelin incident, ten days ago." There was another uncomfortable silence; this time the ones to hold it were Shinichi and Kaito. "You sure must remember what led me to such search, don't you? You under covered yourself."

::::::::::::::::

_10 days before:_

"_Don't touch her!"_

_Shinichi ran from the door that led to the zeppelin terrace to Kid, who was holding a fainted Ran in his arms. A few feet away from them Shinichi stopped and pointed with his watch at Kid._

"_If you lay a hand on her..."_

"_May I suppose you've already seen it, don't you tantei -san?" Kid grinned at Shinichi, "Don't worry, though; she has only fainted, you will be able to take her to the doctor in the zeppelin very soon. Your neesan-..."_

"_I said, don't touch her."_

_Kid stared at the boy in front of him. They had meet before, he was, Edogawa Conan, the detective boy that collaborated with the police solving his cases, the strange boy that acted much more maturely than average and that reasoned incredibly fast. But... What was that feeling? Just now he felt he wasn't speaking to a child. They exchanged looks. The look on that boy's eyes wasn't the look of someone worried by his neesan, but the look of a jealous man. Suddenly Kid was able to look beyond the glasses._

"_You..."_

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"And that's when I had to flee or else get caught. I girl deserves someone taking care of her; at that moment it couldn't be me."

Kaito smiled. No one else did it. He sighed.

"After that I collected the pieces of the last time you almost caught me; that is, being you, Kudo -kun. And compared. It was easy if you leave aside the 'no-way-he-can't-be-a-child' thing, though."

"And how, may I ask, or where did you find information about me? The police investigation bureau?"

"Well, if you were a normal shrunken person, that would have been the place. But y'know, a normal shrunken boy doesn't exist. So I had to collect pieces from the only path that was left: The Black Organization."

"How did you know of their existence!"

Haibara's voice sounded more pitched than usual. Her distress was clear.

"I also have a matter to settle with them." He sighed. "A secret by a secret, I believe it's fair. They killed my father, the original Phantom Thief Kid, for a jewel that he refused to give them. He hid it and now I'm looking for it before they can get it."

Everybody looked at him, questions running in their heads. Finally Shinichi broke the silence.

"Sorry then. Back to the topic, though...that means you looked for people they had in their archives for the last two years."

"Exactly. And that's when I found you: a teen that had the privilege to be the first to taste the APTX 4869. Body not found. And a bloody picture of your head in the grass. But you aren't dead. The rest was straightforward. Easy." He smiled.

"If you read that you may have also read they checked Kudo's house twice."

Haibara's voice was inquisitive, still fearsome.

"Ah... yes, I read there was a non conclusive inform about Kudo's dead, something that will be open again any time soon, due to the disappearance of the woman that wrote it."

Haibara gulped soundly. "How did you get in the BO central and get the info?" Blood started to leave her face. She stared at Kid in disbelief.

"I didn't get in. I got 'in'; I hacked them."

Everyone's mouths fell. Kid smiled satisfied.

"You moron!" Shinichi shouted. "They'll trace you!"

"I'm conscious of that. That's why I came to warn you." There was a pause. "Well, I thought, at the beginning, they wouldn't be able to trace me, but... you see, as smart as I believe I am there's someone who is even smarter than me with computers. Tonic, no... Bourbon I think he's called."

A pitched cry escaped from a very pale Haibara who covered her mouth with her hands. Slowly she uncovered her lips.

"We are dead."

* * *

Oh WOW. BO is back! What now!


	9. Chapter 9

Hello readers, sorry to keep you waiting for the next chapter for so long, you see I'm preparing my final exams and I'm very busy... the concept, the idea behind this story is still in my head, but every time I try to write I get blocked because I know I should be studying... now I feel guilty xD so thank you for keep on reading me! Also this chapter is a bit longer than usual, take it as an extra ;)

Pd: as read in the comment that withallheartandsoul left from the previous chapter, I was fully aware Vermouth was a woman and had my reasons to make the characters confused about her because one of them didn't know her sex. Now, having said that suddenly a new plot appeared involving another character, so I'm changing her for Bourbon. That will be even better, just wait.

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me Chianti would appear more often! Yay... I love her make up *_*)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

"_We are dead."_

The sentence lingered for a few seconds until Agasa, who was holding Haibara, cleared his throat and spoke. He was staring directly to Shinichi.

"If that's true, then you have to flee from here as soon as possible. And take Haibara with you. Kid;" Agasa addressed Kaito directly.

"Ah, yes?"

"I'm going to need you to take them away. You are a master of disguise; whatever happens, don't let them get caught, I'm begging you."

Shinichi and Haibara stared bewildered at Agasa until Shinichi regained his senses.

"Not 'take them away', you are coming with us!"

"I can't do that!" Agasa raised his voice and for the first time in years Shinichi saw that happy old man behave seriously. "If I were to disappear with you that would be even more suspicious than you, two kids, going back to your parents. They know for sure I live here from the several raids they did at Shinichi's house. I have to stay to avoid suspicions."

"No! They'll kill you!"

Haibara clutched at the professor jumper. "They will torture you to get information, I won't allow that!"

"I wont't spo-"

"I don't care if you speak, I'm worried about you! I don't want you to get hurt or die! You have been the closest to a father I've ever had..."

Haibara started to cry and Shinichi put his hand on Agasa's shoulder.

"We will protect you, Agasa. Just like you have protected us for all these years."

"OK I get it, but stop the melodrama. I will take care of the ol' man while you are away."

Kaito drew the attention to him with these words, and pointed at himself with his thumb.

"Trust me."

Haibara wiped her tears and along with Agasa and Shinichi woke from the floor. Agasa took the word.

"I'm going to call Shinichi's parents. Kid, I'll need you to disguise these two the further from their original appearances as possible."

"Roger."

Suddenly Shinichi stopped dead in tracks in his way to his room to pack his few things.

"Ran."

Everybody stopped too.

"Oh shit! I need to warn her! After coming here they'll go get Kogoro and her!"

There was a silence. Kid put on his poker face and spoke.

"More people involved mean adding difficulty to an already difficult situation."

Kaito was nervous. What to do? Could they avoid getting the girl involved? There seemed to be too many people involved and very few time to settle everything. Suddenly the time he arrived at Agasa's house seemed late. Agasa sighed.

"I was going to call her to tell that your parents, well, Conan's parents were coming to take you with them overseas again. Same with Haibara. That along with Shinichi's goodbye should be enough."

Kaito's poker face disappeared replaced by a confused expression.

"Wait, wait, wait... what does 'that along with Shinichi's goodbye' means, Kudo-kun?"

Kaito Kid and Shinichi glared at themselves. Finally Shinichi lowered his head hiding his eyes behind his glasses.

"Yesterday I met her as Shinichi to say farewell. Forever. I was planning to flee from here in the next days."

"You did what?"

Kid grabbed him by the bowtie and raised him from the floor. Agase held Kid's arm and looked at him disapprovingly. Kaito released Shinichi, that didn't bother fixing his clothes.

"I had no other option. I can't go back to normal from now, so making her wait like that is cruel."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kaito Kid snapped at Shinichi. "She loves you!"

"I know!" Shinichi raised his head, pain in his features. "I'm doing this for her! I supposed that way I would keep her apart from danger."

"... Hell of timing..."

Kaito kicked the air annoyed; Shinichi's patience had reached the last spot.

"What are you murmuring?"

"I met her yesterday too. Probably just before you."

Everyone's mouths fell. Shinichi, who had been released from Kid's grasp and set apart from him launched at him and tried to punch him. Kaito stepped backwards to avoid the confrontation.

"I warned you not to ever touch her again!"

"Hey! It's not my fault you are unable to solve your own problems. Woah, grab him, Agasa!"

Agasa had to run from the place he was with Haibara to held Shinichi by the arm and made him look at his eyes.

"Keep it cool Shinichi. You can't allow yourself to be driven away by your emotions like this, if so you'll put everyone in danger. Remember Holmes."

Shinichi took a deep breath but kept staring murderously at Kid.

"What did you meet her for and why now?"

"To apologise, of course. And to take a look at her; she left me worried after fainting."

"And what did you talk to her?"

"I dunno, lots of things; about how she had been doing, about that night... I had lots of things I wanted to ask, but after a week I wasn't able to remember them. Oh, I told her you were neared than she thought."

Shinichi snapped.

"How dare you to get into my personal, private life! It has nothing to do with you!"

"I told you. After what happened, it has everything to do with me. I never abandon a girl in distress."

They exchanged daring looks and then Haibara spoke.

"How did you find her?"

"I did a lil' research and found her house. It wasn't difficult; I only had to look for Detective Kogoro Mouri, so plain easy: just the same as I did with you, but without involving the BO." Kaito put on a satisfied smile but it quickly left his face. "Oh holy crap!"

Kid slapped himself in the forehead, realization hitting him. Now she was involved.

"I'm stupid!"

"What, what did you do?" Shinichi was lost.

"They'll go get her first."

Haibara's voice was trembling. It was a statement. Shinichi looked at her panicking.

"What, why!"

"Because that moron here looked for her just at the same time he did his research for you. If they hack his computer they'll track his cookies and find his searching historical."

Pieces connected in Shinichi's head like a puzzle solved.

"It will lead them to her."

Blood left Shinichi's face.

"What do we do?" Agase looked at the three of them frantically.

"Off with the suspicions, we have to hide them."

"We can't" Haibara interrupted Shinichi. "It's like domino; if they can't find Kogoro or Ran, they will go for the near ones: friends, family... there's no way we can save them all."

"Shit! Then what to do?" Shinichi put his head between his hands.

"Stay and fight. Warn them." Kid stood firmly. "You two," he pointed at Haibara and Shinichi, "have to hide. After that we'll warn family and friends. And then lay an ambush to them."

"I can't involve my parents..." Shinichi was a mess. "Now, just now that I thought I was doing the right thing."

"No, you have to involve them; the more warned the safer. They must know what they are into. I'll call Ran and hide her."

"Like hell I'm gonna let you be near her!"

Shinichi's outburst had become something to fear.

"Hey! Watch your temper, lil' tantei; you of all the people should know this is no moment to divide ourselves. You can only trust me here."

Kid and he exchanged looks and finally Shinichi sighed in surrender.

"OK but please take care of her, she's precious to me."

"She's very capable to taking care of herself but yeah, I'll watch her." Kaito said trying to light the mood.

"Well then," Haibara spoke, going out her room with a little backpack, "when do we start our transformation?"

"I'll have to go look for things to make that possible, you have to understand that wasn't in my plan in the beginning." Kaito started to think and everybody sat waiting; Agase started to dial Yusaku's phone number to warn them. Suddenly, Shinichi's keitai ringed.

Everybody looked at him search for it in his pocked with trembling hands.

"Nervous, tantei -san?" Kid smirked.

"Shut up. Uh? Heiji?"

Kid looked at him trying to remember who that 'Heiji' was.

"Moshi moshi, Kudo there."

"Oi, Kudo!" Heiji's voice sounded slightly worried.

"Hi, Heiji. What's wrong?"

"Ahh... how to put this; I just spoke to Ran so I know more or less what's going on. You have to explain a few things to me, Kudo. First things first though, where are you?

"At Agasa's house, why?"

"All of you?"

"What? All of us, who?"

"Ran-kun, Mouri-san and you, of course."

"N... no, just me. Why?"

"Cos I'm in Tokio, of course!"

"What! Why the hell did you come? Right now we are in a bit of, well no, in a huge trouble. You here only means more people getting involved!"

"Oh thank you for considering me a nuisance at a time like this; explain this to me later. By now tell me where to go if none of you are at home now."

"Hah?"

"I spoke to Ran two hours ago and she never told me you had any plans to go outside, but now I find there's no one picking up the phone at her house, not even the one at the office and her keitai is off. Man I need to know where to meet you two. Hey... are you listening? Oi? "

Shinichi gulped. Today was Sunday. There was no way Kogoro, at this time in the morning was out the office, it wasn't in his timetable. And about Ran... she always turned on her keitai. Nobody at home. Everybody saw him turn pale.

"What's wrong, Kudo?"

Three people asked the same question at the same time; Heiji, Haibara and Kid.

The answer for them was the same.

"I don't know."

* * *

Oh OH! What's wrong?


	10. Chapter 10

Hello readers, thank you for keep on reading me, everyday I get new college responsibilities and exams are so near I get jitters... but still you make it worth it!

Thank you for kee on reading this, thanks to my newest reader Akai Hoshi Neko for her comments and to all of the rest of you that wait for my next chapter, I'm afraid you'll have to wait a lil' bit more for the next ones, 'cos I have them in my head, but I have no time to write them... it's extremely frustrating! .

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me Shuichi Akai would appear more often too... *blushes* xD)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

_Two hours__ ago_

Ran hung up the phone and let herself fell on her bed.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said anything... maybe I should just let him go, as he wanted. But-..." Ran covered her face with the pillow and cried again.

Little by little her cries let its place to exhaustion and Ran fell in a light slumber. Suddenly something woke her. It took her a few seconds to regain her senses, then think of how long she's been asleep and locate what that noise has been. It sounded as if something had broken. Maybe... no, it was something bigger than a glass. It sounded louder. She half woke from the bed and thought of his father. Was he drunk at that time in the morning?

"Dad?"

Silence. Maybe he had dropped something and now was picking the pieces not wanting to disturb her. She spoke a bit louder.

"Geez dad, are you OK?"

Ran started to worry when she heard no answer. The noise had been at home, not in the office, so why wasn't he answering? Ran woke from the bed and when she was going to open her bedroom door she heard another noise, like a click.

"Ran." Kogoro's voice sounded strangled and low. Then she heard a metallic thud and silence again. Ran couldn't move; it was as if her survival instincts were screaming something at her. What was wrong with her? She put all the pieces together late; Ran opened the door and the last thing she saw was her father lying in the floor.

:::::::::::::::::::

Agasa's car drove as quickly as it could until reaching Ran's house. No movement. A man in his mid-forties got down the car and climbed the stairs to Mouri's agency. He knocked the door. No answer. He approached his chin to his lapel and spoke softly.

"No answer, what now? Aham... OK."

He climbed till next floor and knocked the house's door. Once. Twice. Ringed the bell.

"I'm going."

The door was open. Kid put away in his sleeve the wire he was intending to use just in case it was locked and entered the house. A few seconds passed, nervousness growing inside the car.

"Kid what do you see? Inform us." Agasa spoke to the mechanism Kid had hidden in his ear by which he could hear them in the car giving instructions, and speak to them. Silence. "Kid?"

"Call the police. Now."

Agasa turned pale. Shinichi climbed out the car and rushed to Ran's house not caring for the warnings Haibara was shouting at him from the car. He climbed the stairs by two and opened the second floor door. Kid blocked him.

"No, go away, you better not see that."

"Let me go Kid!"

Shinichi freed himself from Kid's grasp and entered the house.

He had seen hundreds of crimes, but this time it was personal. Lying on the floor, his head covered in blood, laid Kogoro backwards. Shinichi approached him and put two fingers in his neck. He then looked at Kid.

"Call the police and an ambulance; he's alive. Barely though."

"OK. Agasa, can you hear me?" Kid spoke to the microphone.

"Loud and clear. What has happened?"

"Mouri Kogoro is badly injured and bleeding on the floor. Call the ambulance and police."

"OK."

"Also," Kid spoke again, "are there any signs of suspicious people wandering in the street?"

Agasa took a look around as well as Haibara.

"Clear."

"OK then, I'll be going now. Police can't see me here."

Shinichi woke from Kogoro's side and looked at Kaito.

"You can stay with Agasa and Haibara; this way it will be easier to plan what to do."

"Nah, I can't do that tantei-san. I'm not going to reveal you my identity. If I know something I'll call you." Kid took off the hearing device and lend it to Shinichi. "If you hear something about the girl before I do, put this in the green bench that is in front of the Beika Station by 9 pm." Kaito gave a poker card to Shinichi. "Otherwise, I'll contact you. Bye then." And with that he left the room and the flat as a normal man walking down the street.

:::

Police cars and an ambulance arrived in less than 10 minutes. Megure was the first to enter the crime scene followed by Heiji, who had just arrived in taxi to the place. While Megure authorized the sanitarians to take Kogoro to the hospital Heiji placed himself near Shinichi and put a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly.

"What has happened here, Kudo? Is Kogoro-san right?"

"Yeah, sort of... he is pretty bad injured in his head. He's unconscious, so we know nothing about Ran." Defeat was clear in his voice. Heiji frowned.

"Well, I'm sorry you had to witness such a thing, boy." Megure addressed condescendingly to Conan. "But then again, it's not the first crime scene you witness... this time is different, though." Shinichi put on his child appearance and nodded sadly. "I understand you are affected, but being you the first to find Mouri –san like this, I'm afraid I'll have to interrogate you."

"I understand." Shinichi wasn't faking his impotence; there was nothing he had witnessed that could serve as a proof to help the police. And he could not tell the only thing he knew.

Before Megure took Shinichi with him to a quiet place, Heiji asked him to lend him the boy for a second.

"Will you be OK Kudo?"

Shinichi nodded again, not finding strength to put on his childish voice.

"While Megure interrogates you I'll search for any evidence the BO could have left here, and afterwards I'll help him get all the evidence in this room. Just rest as much as possible, and be prepared; you're indispensable to find out what has happened." With this Heiji punched him slightly in the shoulder and left Shinichi to be interrogated by Megure but very worried for his friend, and determined to help him as much as possible.

After the short interrogatory and asking Megure to dispense him for not feeling very well, Shinichi put his brains to work. It was a matter of life or death; what has happened? Well... unfortunately it was almost sure 'what'. Ran had been kidnapped. Who did it was also easy to figure out. What was really bothering him was the reason for the abduction.

"Why taking her? Why not...here?"

Haibara was also confused. The BO didn't take hostages, it wasn't in their normal procedure of 'getting information, erasing informant'; she knew that well. No, their plans had to be others. No one had disturbed them while being here, so they weren't in a rush; it has been at least half an hour since they left. They had plenty of time to interrogate both Kogoro and Ran and then dispose of them; then why?

"I don't know." Shinichi's voice sounded defeated. As much as he tried to think objectively he couldn't. Kogoro was bad injured, what about her? No notes left. There weren't barely any signs of fight except for the broken bathroom mirror and papers that were scattered all over Kogoro's office.  
Most likely they were searching at Kogoro's office first, or maybe that was what they wanted police to think. Then they got to the second floor, entered the house and caught Kogoro brushing his teeth. They caught him off guard, hitting his head against the mirror and leaving him dazed. Then they carried him to the front door, where he was found...  
Shinichi stopped in front of Ran's bedroom door. It wasn't damaged; no signs of violence inside the bedroom were visible, the bed was done and everything seemed more or less tidy. It seemed they weren't looking for anything inside her room. So... they waited for her outside. Maybe they used Kogoro as a bait to make her go out and avoid a fight with her, or to catch her by surprise. Shinichi took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Haibara looked at him worried. "The last time she saw you was yesterday. But still she has no information, has she? You didn't tell her anything that could compromise our security, did you?"

"No, I just... said farewell. I told her about a case I had to solve far from here, and that's all. I did my best to let her out of this. Damn Kid..."

"As stupid as he can be, he didn't do it on purpose so we better work with him and take advantage of all the info he got from them. That may help. And please calm down," Haibara put her hand on Shinichi's shoulder, "there are no signs of violence apart from the ones on Kogoro, so we can infer she's not injured. They might think she knows something, so as far as she convinces them to be a valuable source of information she won't be killed. She serves them better alive, or so it seems."

Two seconds. They both stared panicked at themselves as if a red light in their brains had been activated.

"Ran is a hostage to lure you out."

* * *

Predictable, I know, but still... xD


	11. Chapter 11

Hello my dear readers, I'm back! But I fear it's gonna get extremely complicated to keep up with the writing rhythm I've had. You see, exams and course works... btw I'm decided to write this story from the beginning to the end, and as I already know the end in my head it would be stupid not to write, wouldn't it? It will take me time, though. Be patient, I won't disappoint you! (hopefully)

Thank you very very much for your reviews Akai Hoshi Neko and x-streakz-X-the-X-werecat-x ^_^

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I would make some more fan service with Heiji and Shinichi YAYYY)

ENJOY! ^_^

* * *

Ran woke up slowly, as after being sedated with a very strong drug, her head spinning. Disoriented she tried to move and panicked; she was tied and her eyes were covered by a cloth and her mouth by an adhesive tape. Her ankles and wrists were firmly tied with a rope, her wrists behind her back, and it hurt trying to pull them out. She fought the sense of panic breathing heavily and noticed humidity was strong in the air. She figured out she was in a closed place, and also that she must be lying on the ground. To find out how small that place was she stretched as much as possible and found her head and her feet touching the walls. The room was very small, and the sense of claustrophobia grew. She tried to breathe slowly to calm herself and stop the panic that was building inside her again. She tried to shout and a muffled cry escaped her mouth. Ran bite the tape to try breaking it but it was very hard; after struggling with the feeling of chocking, she tried to sit on the ground only to find she was very weak to move. Seeing she could do absolutely nothing to escape from this situation, she just took time to put together the pieces of what had happened. 

First she had no idea where she was.

Second, she had no idea why she was in such a place.

Third she couldn't distinguish what time of the day it was due to the cloth on her eyes that blinded her.

Fourth... her dad!

Pieces connected each time quicker in her mind, causing a terrible headache to appear, but not stopping her. She had gone out her room and had seen him lying on the floor. She had had no time to knee besides him; someone had taken her off guard and had put a cloth on her nose. It had been amazing how quick she had lost consciousness, the drug used with her must be no other but chloroform, she thought. She had smelled it before, maybe when she was with Conan kun and her father as a witness of a crime. She winced; the headache was unbearable and he had discovered nothing that could help her in this situation.

Again she struggled with the feeling of helplessness; she could not give up that easily. If she had been kidnapped and her father was injured someone must be surely looking for her by now, she thought. Panic again; was her father alright? She couldn't remember well the scene, only that he was laying on the floor. Maybe he was just unconscious. Was he there with her?

"Mhmhmhh!"

Again she found her cries muffled. She moved her body form side to side only to find there was nothing in the room; it was empty. She had found the four walls and nothing in between. The room was even smaller than she thought. She tried to scream desperate, not being able to suppress her distress. When she was chocking from the tape covering her mouth making her difficult to breathe and her tears, she heard a noise. The metallic door was being unlocked. She was backwards that door, and tried to turn to the opposite direction, fighting the soreness of her skin being peeled by the concrete ground. Someone got in. Whoever it was took two steps and then stopped.

_"Heels? Is there a woman?"_  
Then she heard more steps approaching. This time the echo when walking through the corridor made it sound like few people, who stopped very near her. There seemed to be two more people. This time the shoes were of men, she thought.

"Now she is quiet." A man with rough flat voice was the first to speak. "But she's awake, definitely. What now, aniki?"

There was a silence and Ran lifted her head instinctively.

"Take her to the other room. You, come with me."  
One man and the woman got away from the room. Ran was paralyzed. The last man's voiced had frozen her blood; it oozed cruelty. Even not being able to see him she had felt as if he had stared at her. Then she felt a big, rough hand grabbing her by the arm and she revolved. The man used his free hand to hit her in the nape of the neck and Ran fell limp. 

:::::

All the strategies had gone down after this. How could something so hideous be true? No matter what they did; either way the confrontation was unavoidable. And this time there was a bait. Tired, everyone retreated to their houses.

Shinichi, Haibara, Agasa and Heiji stayed together. Heiji was still suspicious of Kaito Kid helping them, but Agasa convinced him to wait and trust Shinichi; if he allowed Kid to help, they all should trust him. All help was necessary at the moment, and Kid was definitely an ally right now. So Heiji accepted reluctantly, though.

Only minutes after crossing the front door everybody was on their nerves again.

"What do we do now?" Shinichi was heartbroken. Ran was a bait to lure him to the BO, and nothing assured him she was still alive. Whatever they did they were going to pay. The matter now was how.

"Now the ball is on their roof," Haibara stated, "the lack of hints can only mean that either they contact us... or we have missed some clear evidence they left that could guide us to the place where they are."

Haibara wasn't calm; Ran was in serious danger if not dead by now, and luring out Shinichi would mean... exposing her too. Even thought she would interchange right now for Ran she knew there was nothing she could do. She gazed slightly at Shinichi.

"Tell me," she took a few seconds to hide her nervousness and fear, "do you think they have found about me too?"

Shinichi looked at her and then at the ceiling.

"I think they have most of the pieces together by now. But we still don't know. Maybe if you are lucky they only want me. Maybe this way I can trade with Ran."

"... You are helpless. " Haibara spoke defeated. "If you think they hold hostages to trade its only because you don't know them. They want us, no matter what; and they trust you to be insensate and reckless enough to go save her. She can't be saved."

"Don't!"

"Your only chance is to be wittier than them, outsmart them and catch them. You cannot play their game, they already have the advantage." Haibara stated. Distress was clear on her too; Ran was so seem like her sister she couldn't bear the thought of Vermouth hurting her.

Shinichi was desperate. What could he do? Heiji appeared in the room following Agasa. Shinichi and him exchanged looks and Heiji denied with his head. No evidence. No hints. Nothing.

"For God's sake, what the hell do they want us to do!" Shinichi grabbed his head with his hands and cried. Half a day has passed and they knew nothing about the whereabouts of Ran. If they intended to catch Shinichi, why didn't they leave at least something to start looking for?

"Have you considered the option of Ran not being caught? Maybe something went wrong and she's hiding somewhere, unable to move afraid they could catch her."

Everybody stared at Heiji. He continued.

"Maybe she ran away, and with all the mess at her house they couldn't go after her, but preferred to clean up the evidence and then search."

"That could be a very rational possibility, Hattori kun." Agasa remarked. He hoped everyone's hopes were up after that. Shinichi woke from the couch and went to the main door.

"I'm going to look for her."

"Great." Haibara muttered.

"Baaaaka!" Heiji grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. "If you go out now there are at least 1000% possibilities they catch you. Haven't your brains waked up yet? If they are searching for her, and you are searching for her..."

"They will catch you for sure." Haibara finished the sentence. Shinichi looked at her annoyed. "I mean, it's clever. If I were them, I would wait for you to go out looking for her and then catch you." Haibara looked at him as if it was the most obvious thing. "Police searched the area, and if she's hidden we don't know where to start looking for her. We can only wait."

"Wait? What for? If she's hidden and can't communicate with us, how can we leave her like this?" Shinichi was enraged.

"They don't know me." Heiji raised one hand. "I'll go."

"Do you even know where to start looking for?" Haibara raised her voice annoyed.

"I'll guide him." Shinichi said not breaking eye contact with Heiji.

"Do you even know, both of you, where to start looking for?" Haibara shouted getting the attention of both boys. "Do you think that if she was running away from some assassins she would have the time to think of a place you'd know to hide at instead of at the safest place she could find as quickly as possible?"

"We can only hope that's the case. When we were children we had our secret, safe places to hide; if she's hidden, she must be there." Shinichi wasn't fully confident but he could be grasping an iron heated bar the same. If there was the slightness possibility of her not being caught, he would believe it.

Haibara face-palmed helself. "You are utterly helpless."

Heiji ignored her and put his hand on Shinichi's shoulder. "OK Kudo, where do I start looking for?"

::::::

Ran opened slowly her eyes and for the first time in hours she could see. Barely though; the place she was now was in penumbra and light entered through a dirty, wide window pane near the ceiling. But from the little she could see she assumed by the tall ceiling and the messy place she must be at a warehouse. The light from the dawn filtered slightly creating a slumber-ish atmosphere. She was still weak and her neck hurt like hell; furthermore she was still tied to a chair and had her mouth covered with adhesive tape. She looked at both sides and suddenly froze. Slowly, very slowly, turned her head to one of the sides and saw someone hidden in the shadows; she turned the head immediately, her heart racing from irrational fear: it has been the same feeling she had had when she had waken up in the first room. The person wore black, and that made him or her very difficult to see; still afraid of whoever was observing her in the not so far distance she peeked again and saw nobody. Ran started hyperventilating; was she being haunted? What was the meaning of this?

Suddenly she sensed it; there was someone behind her. And then a clear, soft voice spoke.

"So you are Mouri Ran; the boss wants to talk to you. We have our hopes high, don't deceive us."

This voice was different from the one that had frozen her last time. This man seemed calmer... as if he was smiling, reassuring her somehow... and then fom the corner of the room the silhouette of the person she saw earlier moved to the light. She shivered and cold sweat went down her spine; she couldn't move. That man wore black clothes, black hat and a very long blonde hair. But that weren't the features that called her attention: his eyes, light blue and cold as ice, stared at her murderously. That man was going to kill her. And before she could think of anything the man behind her injected something with a small syringe on her neck and spoke smiling:

"I think now she's ready for the interrogatory, Gin."

* * *

... So Gin is here. *shivers*


	12. Note to readers

Hello everybody, sorry for the LONG wait! I'm full of energy now, my exams were successfully passed and my boyfriend and I are now living together; it took us longer than anticipated, but never mind that! I was so occupied I almost forgot to write here, sorry! But now I'm fully inspired and decided to end what I started, so be aware of tragedy ahead, I promise you won't be deceived ;)

You won't have to wait longer for the chapters to start being uploaded, but bear a lil' longer please! Luv u all!

Ps: I also re uploaded the previous chapter 'cos I found some errors I hadn't realised at the time, now I think everything is fine :D


	13. Chapter 12

Hello dear people, I'm finally back! I'm deeply sorry for making you wait this much, the lack of time and a proper place to write are not fully solved, but I have my moments xD I'm trying to keep with the story as faithfully as possible because it's been long since I wrote, but I'm sure I'll make it. Well then, here's the 12th chapter of the story, I hope you like it :D

Enjoy!

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I would fix date for the DC movies to be shown worldwide at the same time! It's torture to make us wait like this!)

* * *

Heiji and Shinichi were on high hopes of finding Ran whereas Haibara was still skeptical; she knew the BO better than that, they wouldn't have let her escape, no matter how small the enemy was, they always were prepared to crush it and leave no evidences. And that is why this whole situation worried her. It made no sense! What if there was no purpose behind? What if this was just a way to make them pay? The more she thought about it, the worse it pictured in her head; maybe these two nutshells were right and hope was the only thing left to grasp on right now. What else if not?

The boys were finishing the last flaws of the plan to follow.

"OK, following this route I've drawn in the map you'll be able to search at the places without suspicions. As if running some errands." Shinichi stated. "Remember that you'll have to be quick though; the places you're going to go are not especially amusing, so staying for long will be suspicious."

"Don't worry; it's not my first time running an errand like this," Heiji winked "I've followed people before, so I know how to make myself go unnoticed."

With this and a scrambled plan, Heiji left the house and started with his search. That left Shinichi alone again. Well, not alone, but considering the way Haibara stared at him and the fact that Agasa was afraid to meddle, yes, he felt slightly alone. Finally, when Agasa was going to break the silence, the phone ringed.

"That must be your parents;" Agasa looked at Shinichi. "I called them before but as always their phones were out of service."

"Indeed." Shinichi smiled and made a move asking Agasa to handle him the phone so he could speak.

"Toosan?"

"Well, Shinichi, what has happened? It seemed pretty urgent from Agasa's message."

"It is in fact." Shinichi breathed and continued. "The Black Organization has Ran."

Some seconds passed until Yusaku answered back.

"Does the police know?"

"They only know it may be an abduction. Nothing else. And I can't give them anything else right now without uncovering myself."

"I understand. Nonetheless I think worrying for your state now is the least of your worries. Maybe they could help if they knew the truth."

"How so?" Shinichi said bitterly.

"Well, you are in contact with the FBI and as far as I know, they are also behind the BO. Am I right?"

"Yes. I think I know were you're heading me and I like it." Shinichi smiled. "Thank you dad."

"You are welcome, son. Remember that we will always be there when you need us. Your mother and I are taking the first flight to Japan we can, so you can expect us tomorrow afternoon. I hope we are not late for the action."

"I'd hope you needn't have to come." Shinichi said sadly.

"Don't worry son, if there's anything we can do, leave it to us!" This time it was Yukiko's voice which sounded on the other side of the line, cheerful as always. "I know Ran will be alright Shin chan; trust yourself."

"Thank you mom. Bye."

Shinichi hung the phone and exhaled slowly. Haibara eyed him suspiciously.

"You are not going to break down now, are you?" She asked worried.

Shinichi looked at her raising an eyebrow. She was truly concerned.

"Of course not; it would be stupid to break down when we still know nothing."

"Good, because we need your analytical mind full throttle right now." And she smiled.

"What do we do now?" Agasa asked.

"I'm going to get into contact with Jodie sensei and try to meet her privately to tell her about this. The more she knows the better; I'm sure she will be eager to help. We will also wait and see if Heiji was right. If not… we have to start making new plans on how to catch them, and inform Kid."

"Well then, I'll do research job too." Haibara said. "I can't stay unoccupied anymore." And they headed to the computer. Agasa looked at Shinichi who asserted, and then followed Haibara; hopefully there was something they could do.

While Haibara was working on her computer her mind was somewhere else and she seemed unable to bring it back and focus; it was not Ran being abducted what was clouding her mind, but the possibility of her not coming back. As every possibility has to be thought, she went to the worst scenario in hopes the rest would seem better after this. Obviously the worst scenario wasn't not finding Ran, which was highly improbable, but finding her dead. What would they do if that were the case? Leaving aside the defeating the BO thing, which was a lot more troublesome to plan in her head, the possibility of Ran being dead was high. If she wasn't dead by now, there were chances she was going to be killed soon. So, being completely objective, what would they do? Obviously her mind and unconsciously her eyes travelled to Shinichi. The pain of loosing a very dear person was terrible, but what about the loss of someone you love? She was well aware Shinichi and Ran were in love, though that hurt her. The feeling of uneasiness she felt every time Shinichi spoke about Ran, how he looked at her wanting more than anything to go back to her and stay… that left Haibara confused and pretty angry with herself. Although she never thought of what she felt in terms of love, she just couldn't stand the thought of them being together; and she was well aware of the sacrifices Ran was doing, waiting for him, bearing the lack of information and callings from him. Definitely she deserved happiness, but would they have been able to be happy like this, waiting forever? There was no realistic possibility for her to find the cure of the APTX without the files that were in the BO headquarters, and even if she had them she didn't know if it could be reversed. As for Shinichi, he had being so troubled, so down it the past months because there was nothing he could do to stay with her, that the decision of leaving her seemed the only possibility. And now that he had followed her advice, was she happy? After all, it had been her continuous conversations with him what had led Shinichi to think Ran didn't deserve to keep up with this pain. What now? Will Shinichi want to remain as Conan and stay with her and the rest of the children, living a peaceful life? Will they be able to forget, and be happy? She looked at him and shook her head. Of course not. No matter what, he will always blame himself for this, no matter the output of the situation. Looking at the future right now wasn't helping her clear her mind. When she turned her head to the screen again she found a new mail. From Kid. How annoying.

"Great. Kid has hacked us, too."

"I know, I have the same mail. What a show off. It is not encrypted though; he just wanted us to know he can hack at will. Stupid."

Just when Haibara was going to make a move to read the mail from Shinichi's computer, Heiji came back running.

"Kudo! I've news!"

Everybody met him at the door where he had stopped to breathe.

"What did you find?" Shinichi inquired him. Heiji raised his hand to sign he had to recover his breath, he was panting from the run.

"Not what, but who. There is a man who asked me no matter what to bring him here. He says he knows you."

"Did you bring him there?" Agasa asked.

"He's at the front door. He said it would be impolite not to wait ther-."

Shinichi turned to the hall and stared eyes wide at the man in front of him.

"Shuichi Akai?"

* * *

Ran opened her eyes again only to find she was still sick. How many times had she passed away in the last hours? Everything was spinning, the ground looked like the sea, moving in waves, and the walls closed and expanded every time she turned her head. Fighting the feeling of nausea, Ran closed her eyes and breathed deeply. A rough hand lifted her head from the chin and forced her to reopen her eyes.

"Where were we, miss, before you fainted again? Oh yes, you were telling us about the brat."

Ran couldn't fight anymore the feeling of motion sickness and turned her head to the side, expecting to vomit.

"It seems our drug isn't fully effective on you, girl." The man with short brown honey hair and glasses said in his sweet voice. "Instead of forcing the truth out of you it makes you sick. What a pity, what a pity…" he freed Ran's face from his grasp and left her looking down wishing she could vomit to feel better. He went to a desk and opened a big bag that resembled a doctor's bag. Ran lifted her eyes from the ground and looked at his back.

"W-why are you doing this, Okiya san?" She asked in a confused and tired voice.

Bourbon turned his head and smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I like you, but business is business." Then he looked thoroughly in his bag and finally turned to Ran with a scalpel and gauzes. "As I said before, it's a shame the drug of truth is not working on you, it could have saved you a lot of pain… Well, there's nothing that could be done now, is it?"

Ran panicked and started to move in the chair she was tied trying to escape. When she was going to scream Bourbon covered her mouth with his hand muffing her cry. "I wished you had been able to speak before". And then he knelt before Ran and fixed his eyes with hers. "This," he said showing the scalpel "is gonna hurt." And he smiled.


	14. Chapter 13

My dear readers, here I'm again! I'm sorry if the quality of the chapters is low, I'm writing in a not so much suitable space and have no internet for most of the day, so my researches (aka DC videos xD) are limited. Akai is a character that has always fascinated me; I thought he deserved a place here. Well now on with the show!

Enjoy!

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I would change Ran's keitai for one better… have you seen it? My mobile looks better! xD)

* * *

Shuichi Akai sat down in the couch and everybody did the same, eyes never leaving him. Finally he spoke.

"I know who you are, both of you." His eyes moved from Haibara to Shinichi. "It's long to explain, for now I want to help. I know what has happened; tell me what you have up until now."

There was a silence in which each pair of eyes locked in disbelief. Akai's eyes left no space for doubts. Finally Shinichi spoke.

"I thought you were dead."

"That was my intention." Akai touched lightly the large scar that covered half of his face.

They exchanged looks. Shinichi smiled without humour.

"Nothing new. They have her and we don't have hints, no traces to follow. We are at a dead end."

Akai closed his eyes and smiled briefly. "There are always traces; you only need to know where to look. May I suppose you've only looked for traces at her house?"

Suddenly everybody stared at him as if the most obvious thing had been in front of them and they hadn't seen it.

"Of course, your house!" Agasa exclaimed looking at Shinichi. A sweat drop slide in his forehead. "I mean, Shinichi's house!"

"There's no need to dissimulate anymore," Akai said calmly. "I have done my own research and found out who you are. For me playing this cat and mouse game with the BO is not something new, we are almost at the same level, excluding their resources to kill me, that is why I couldn't make a move before. But now is the time to act; soon after this first contact with you the FBI and the BO will know I'm alive and here, so if you want to act, do it quick. Once they know I was faking my dead I'll be in trouble." Akai exchanged looks with Shinichi and the rest, stopping at Haibara. "I did never meet you, but I'm sure you know of me by your sister, Akemi."

Haibara looked at him and a tear rolled down her face. She quickly wiped it and nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Miyano Shiho."

Agasa hugged Haibara lightly and then Akai returned his gaze to Shinichi.

"But why? If they knew I was Shinichi why getting Ran and not me?"

"Expeditious methods." Haibara stated. "They want you to know they know. They want you to go. It was easier to take her than us, especially if she was completely unaware of what was going on. I'm sorry; we left her as an easy prey." Haibara's voice was shaky; her intentions off leaving innocent people aside had driven to this.

"What are we waiting for then?" Heiji said putting his hands together in front of him and lacing his fingers. "We should be inside Kudo's house by now."

"But there's this man living at your house at the moment, Shinichi." Agasa said. "How are we going to break in it if he's there? How do we explain him that you told us to go there, two children, an old man like me and two men?"

"Wait, is there someone living at the Kudo's house?" Akai asked. His eyes narrowed.

"Yes, he's hired until he can rebuild his house, which burned in an accident. Shinichi let him stay because he was a freak of Holmes, just like him." Agasa said. Shinichi looked at him annoyed.

"It is true that I know nothing about him, but all the same we couldn't find evidences of him being a BO member. Having him near is the best option if you want to have someone controlled; from Agasa's house you can control his movements easily." Shinichi said. Suddenly his eyes narrowed. "Do you think that it was him who was controlling us?" Haibara shaked.

"It's the most probable possibility." Akai stated. His words were cold. "Whereas I hid to avoid being caught, he revealed himself in front of you so you hadn't any option to run away. If you had suspected of him, he would have known you had a reason to suspect; therefore you were his prey. He left you no options. " Shinichi balled his fists. "When you don't want to be found, you hide. You haven't hidden because you were overconfident of the child disguise you were provided with. It was only a matter of time." Akai looked then at Haibara. "Your sister told me you were good sensing people. What was your first impression?"

Haibara braced herself remembering his eyes the first time she saw him. "He gave me chills. I could sense his eyes on my back, on everybody's back, as if he was observing us. I didn't know why."

Akai thought for a moment and then rose a bit from the couch. "He wasn't observant; he was gathering data. Did he meet Ran?"

Shinichi shuddered. "Yes he did. During a case he even helped us and reached the same reasoning at the end that I did. At that moment he was with Ran and a friend of her."

Akai closed his eyes. "Did he see you interact?"

Shinichi blinked "Excuse me?"

"I mean if he has seen how unable you are to behave like a child when you are with her whereas she's completely unaware of whom you are."

A chill ran down Shinichi's spine. "That… how did you saw?"

Akai looked at him intently. "I'm sorry, but that is your weak point. You cannot be any other person when she's around you. That uncovered you. We should check your house, but I bet he's not there anymore."

"Let's go then." Shinichi woke from the couch angrily and everybody followed him.

The house was perfectly arranged and tidy, as if he hadn't been there. Everything was on its place and the house didn't look inhabited at all.

"He has pretended to erase his presence. Let's see how careful he's been." Akai moved to the living hall.

"Do you think he is one of the men in black?" Shinichi asked Akai.

"Most probably. Now it is easy to say you should have been more careful, but I'll give you the fact you couldn't be suspicious of everybody if you wanted to keep on with this life." Akai looked around. "Now it's your turn detectives; where do we start from?"

* * *

Meanwhile Kaito Kuroba was doing his own research…

"And… ready, set, go!" He pressed the Intro tab and let the computer do the rest. "With this firewall they won't be able to trace me. There are at least 15000 computers they'd have to trace before they can even get near mine, that is, if they are not in an eternal loop." Kaito smiled. "Now, let's see what you have for me."

He started hacking their system like he had done before, breaking the new security systems. But this time it was different, something was wrong: it was too easy, almost as if… "Shit! They are letting me enter so they can distract me and catch me easier! I'm not gonna let you!"

Kaito started to rush through programs and divide his information into several computers around Japan, trying to get to the info before they could get to him. "I dunno who the hell are you, but damn, you are good." Kaito narrowed his eyes and played the trick he had intended to use to escape once he had gathered enough information. "With this I have 5 minutes to erase my presence, so I'll have to be quick and find things before this Trojan is erased from their computer."

Quickly he entered the restricted area and started to copy all the folders with numeric names. And then he stopped. There, without any encryptation was a lone video archive. "I don't have the time to use the antivirus… but it looks like a shortcut to a webcam. What the hell…" less than 3 minutes left. And he pressed the button. The screen turned black and then a little pop up window appeared. It looked like a live video: the image was very dark, like a webcam image, but it became clearer every time. There was something in the center of the image, but it was still so dark he couldn't see what it was. And then the light on the room turned on and he saw it. He saw her: the bloody and full of gashes image a girl tied in a chair with her back bent to the ground, barely keeping sit, and with her messy brownish, light chocolate hair, long and straight covering her face. He recognized it immediately.

Time out. The image disappeared and his computer gave the alarm: less than a minute to run away from the site if he wanted to avoid been caught. He rushed through his programs and called off his search. He had escaped but had no folders with him; they had almost caught him this time. But he was enraged. He turned off his computer and rushed dressing up in his disguise; checking his watch one last time disappeared from the window flying to Shinichi's house. There was no time.

* * *

"Did he saw it?" Gin was sitting in a leather couch in a room behind a table, smoking a cigarette.

"Absolutely; I'd have paid to see his face. How unlucky it has not been the brat." A very feminine voice answered. Vermouth sat down in a chair crossing her legs in a very sensual way. She smiled.

"Well, he'll now in no time. Soon, if he's been observant enough, they'll know where to go." Gin smiled. "And then our two nuisances will be erased."

Vermouth's smiled faded and she rose from the chair, went straight to Gin and took his cigarette from his mouth, to put it in hers. "The boy is MINE." She said in a dark voice.

"You cannot ask for anything else, my dear Vermouth." Gin said. "You already asked us not to kill the girl after the interrogatory."

"You can have Sherry."

"Of course I'll have Sherry." Gin's voice turned murderous. "Don't talk as if you were being condescending with me." Gin rose from his couch and stood in front of Vermouth. "You already have more than you deserve, given the antecedents." She gritted her teeth. "Now, go back and tell Bourbon I want to see him."

Vermouth held his stare and finally turned back, threw the cigarette to the ground and left the room.

"What are we going to do with her, Aniki? It seems she has taken appreciation on the hostage." Vodka asked at the other side of a webcam connected to a computer. Gin sat down again in front of his laptop and smiled.

"Leave her for now; she'll have her punishment later." Gin pressed a button and connected the webcam that was on the interrogatory room, where Ran was tied. "I'll take special care on her executing it."

Someone knocked at the door. Bourbon opened and smiled. "Did you want to see me, boss?"

Gin smiled "Yes. Get her to the other room. It seems Vermouth's wishes are going to be useful in the end."


	15. Chapter 14

Hello everybody, here's the new chapter! I guess most of you are on holidays now, just as I should be xD but not me, no… I still have loads of things to do before I can have proper holidays (maybe by the end of August… hell) so in the mean time I'd write as much as I can, now that this is the only thing that keep me amused in the day XDD I hope you like it!

JFYI you may have noticed this chapters are getting darker… well, it's gonna turn worse from now on, I'm not a big fan of happy-just-because-it's-fair endings, you've been warned XDDD

Enjoy!

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I would get Eri and Kogoro inside a wardrobe, lock it and wait some hours. Just for fun. xDDD)

* * *

It was almost midnight. If there wasn't because Agasa knew very well the neighbours, police would be asking what they were doing by now. A part from this, everybody was exhausted, but Shinichi couldn't get off his mind that the BO had Ran; every minute that passed was decisive to save her. He just couldn't surrender to tiredness. To avoid his childish body to fall asleep of tiredness he moved from one side to the other, always checking his keitai to see if there were news from Kogoro, who still hadn't recovered conscience. On the other side of the room Heiji and Akai were taking fingerprints from a window.

"We have hair, and probably some fingerprints, but we alone cannot do anything with this." Heiji sighed. "If I could go to Osaka I could give it to my father and probably convince him to help us without involving the police."

Agasa knelt in front of Shinichi while Akai and Heiji were discussing something. "Did you finally get into contact with Jodie sensei?"

Shinichi denied. "Let's see what Akai can do before getting him into trouble."

Heiji let Akai taking fingerprints and moved his hand indicating Shinichi to go his way.

"What is it, Heiji?"

"Akai says that he can hear you perfectly well and that he'll personally take care to bring this to the FBI." Shinichi stared eyes wide to Akai's direction. Heiji looked too and then continued. "He also wants to know why to call Jodie san Jodie sensei." A puzzed look appeared on Heiji's face and then Haibara started to laugh like a maniac.

"We have company." Akai's voice turned dark. Everybody went where he was.

"Have you called someone?" He asked looking at Shinichi.

"No, I haven't. What have you seen?"

"A crazy boy dressed up in white flying in this direction. I believe he's in the roof now." Akai took a gun from his jacket and automatically Agasa went 5 steps backwards.

"Don't worry," Heiji said in a malicious voice, "we know him."

"But why is he here?" Haibara said. "He said he'd contact us if he knew something else, but not this way, this is too dangerous."

"So you have a reckless informant," Akai shifted to a wall with his gun still in his hand and not making any noise "who is completely obvious to the hiding techniques, and" Akai kicked the door and aimed at Kid just when he was about to throw a smoke bomb "that underestimates his opponents. How funny."

"Hey…" Kid rose his arms and looked at Shinichi "who's our new friend?"

"Our?" Akai narrowed his eyes.

"Long story short; he's an FBI agent in secret mission." Shinichi said. "You can lower your gun now, Akai: he's a friend."

Akai lowered his gun and Kid hid his smoke bomb. "Can I go in now? We don't have time for this." His voice was dead serious. Shinichi moved and let him pass. Kid got in the room where everybody was and took a nervous glance.

"What's wrong Kid?" Shinichi asked.

"I've seen her." They all understood immediately.

"What? Where?" Shinichi inquired. They all gathered near Kid.

"They wanted me to find it; the video I mean. I was hacking them and it was extremely easy, they almost guided me to the file where a webcam was connected in live transmission. I saw her."

There was a silence. Heiji spoke first. "What did you see?"

"She was tied and injured," Shinichi gritted his teeth. Kid hesitated "but… I don't know…"

"What is it that you don't know?" Shinichi's voice was urgent.

"She wasn't moving."

Another silence. It was Akai who broke it.

"You mean she could be dead."

"Shut up!" Shinichi shoot him a murderous stare. "She could be sedated."

"How bad was she injured?" Haibara asked.

"I don't know, the quality of the video was bad. But I could see something else, and I believe they wanted me to see it;" Kid smiled without humour. "I think I know where she can be."

"Then it must be a trap." Akai sentenced. "A trap we have no other option but to fall in if we want to save her."

"What did you see?" Agasa said, bringing a city plan.

"I believe she's in an abandoned warehouse for the surroundings of the image, but the windows weren't broken, so I think it was abandoned not long ago."

"There are hundreds of warehouses…" Agasa said.

"Yes, but only a few have ship containers inside." Kid said. Everybody looked at him.

"We've got them."

* * *

Ran opened her eyes and found again they were covered. She felt exhausted and dehydrated, and time had stopped making sense; she was completely lost. Trying one last time, she spoke only to find her muffled cries were heard: someone removed the tape from her mouth and offered water. She tried to swallow it at once.

"Sip slowly; it will hurt you if you drink any faster."

She obeyed the voice. She had heard it before… then she remembered Okiya san's voice and what had happened and started to cry and shake.

"Shh Shh if you cry and make noise I won't be able to help you, _Angel_."

Ran stopped drinking. That word… it was English, she heard it before, but where? Where had she…?

"_Move it, Angel!"_

It was her! The blonde woman that was shooting at Ai chan that day. Why? Were Okiya san and her in the same organization?

"I told Okiya san before, I won't say anything until I know if my father is OK" Ran said in a tired voice. The woman holding the glass of water disappeared and came back after leaving the glass somewhere. Then she removed the cloth from her eyes, and it took Ran a few seconds to get used to the light again, though there wasn't much. When she could finally adjust her eyes to the light she saw perfectly the woman before her. Blonde, extremely pretty, and with dangerous eyes.

"He's at the hospital."

Ran sighed in relief.

"Now, are you going to speak?"

"I know nothing of what you are asking me about over and over again. You must have mistaken me for some other person."

"Oh dear, how daring…" Vermouth smiled and woke from the ground. "You are here" her voice was velvet for Ran "because there's something we want, and you are the only want who can give it to us."

"But I know nothing about what you keep asking me, I know nothing about a secret drug and a scientist, or why you keep asking me things about Conan kun, he's just a little boy…" Ran started to cry.

"And about Kudo Shinichi? About him, do you know anything?"

Ran's eyes moved in frenzy. "No."

"And if you knew, would you tell us?" Vermouth's voice turned playful. Ran turned her head to avoid looking at her. "I thought so. You'd protect him… even when he doesn't care about you."

"That's a lie!" Ran raised her voice and immediately the soreness of her throat made it burn. Vermouth gave her water and she drank it. She smiled.

"Dear girl, do you know what we want him for?" Ran denied with her head. "Well, he has something that belongs to us, and we want it back. Also, he's with another girl that we need; they are hiding together." Vermouth let her words sink in. Ran stared at her.

"Do you think he has he eloped with that woman to hide something?" Ran asked in disbelief.

Vermouth smiled. "Yes."

"And what do you want me for? I didn't even know that…" Ran's voice was a whisper. Vermouth turned away and started to speak.

"Well, now there's no more need to keep up with the interrogatory because we have new plans for you. Our initial intention after kidnapping you was to check what you knew though we were pretty sure you knew nothing. After checking you were completely unaware of what was going on, our intention was to kill you because, well we only needed him to come here with the hope of rescuing you." Then Vermouth looked at Ran again and smiled. "But now we have new plans for you; you my dear girl will serve us as live bait."

Ran looked at her confused and scared. "Bait? What…did you really think he would come here risking his life for me?" she asked in fear.

"Not we…" Vermouth said and her smile turned into a devilish grin "you should be confident on him coming to save you."

Ran started to shake… no, he couldn't come, he mustn't come here! They will kill him! She had to think something quickly to make them believe that no matter what, he would not come to save her.

"And do you know by any chance where he is?" Ran asked suddenly, faking bravery. Vermouth smiled slightly.

"No."

"Then if I don't know where he is, and you don't know either, how were you going to attract him here?" Ran said daring.

Vermouth smiled fully. "Oh, don't worry, after kidnapping you we left enough traces for your friends to turn crazy looking for you. I bet now thanks to that stupid flying burglar they are coming here."

Ran started to hyperventilate. How many people were involved? Was Kaito Kid involved too?

"Well it doesn't matter, he won't come. This is the police job, he's only a detective; once he knew where I'm he'd send the police. You won't be able to get him."

"Mmh that would be a possibility if it wasn't because he cannot contact the police." Ran looked at her in disbelief. "Oh dear, you were brought here to inform us and now it has to be me who informs you. You see, he cannot tell the police he knows we have you, and believe me when I say he knows we have you. And you know why?" Ran stared at her angrily. "Well, because who would believe a 10 year old boy that says he's a junior detective?"

Ran tried to gulp, and she couldn't. Her worst fears, all her suspicions. This people… this woman, suspected of Conan kun to be Shinichi?

"Ridiculous."

"I know. I wouldn't believe it either if it wasn't because we were the ones who created the drug that shrank him. And the other girl, for the matter. You see, we intended to kill him, but something went wrong. And now he knows about us, and this is a luxury we cannot allow."

"That is nonsense. There isn't such a thing as a drug that shrinks people."

"You see, we didn't bring you here to discuss the possibility for the science of a drug that shrinks." Vermouth smiled. "You are here because, while we have you, he's vulnerable."

"You know nothing about him. He won't expose himself like this, he's extremely intelligent."

"Oh, I know. But I also know he cannot think objectively when you are in danger. Bourbon told me."

Ran looked at her confused. "What?"

Vermouth smiled devilishly "Do you remember the case of the paper planes falling from a flat?" Ran gulped. She remembered. Okiya reaching the same conclusions as Shinichi at the same time if not faster. Shinichi calling her. Shinichi… worrying sick for her because she was going to get in the building before the police. Ran denied with her head.

"Oh my, you lil' liar." Vermouth took the adhesive tape and covered her mouth in a quick movement. She then took the cloth and covered her eyes again ignoring Ran's movements to try avoiding it. "Liars deserve to be punished. And still… you should be thankful. You owe me your life, and if you cooperate with me, I can personally be in charge of you and free you after this. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Ran started to cry. Vermouth looked at her and knelt in front of her. "You don't owe him anything, _Angel_; he left you, he hurt you. You only have to be a good girl and do as we say." Ran shook her head. "Ok then. Let's see what happens to them then. You'll regret not cooperating."

And with this Vermouth left Ran in despair, waiting for Shinichi not to come.


	16. Chapter 15

Hello dear readers! Sorry for the long wait, I had to take a creative break to reach the story's climax and also I've been away and without internet (my main source of information and inspiration). So I hope I have reach some awesome way to write the end of this story in my retirement. Have a nice week!

Enjoy!

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I would get Shinichi, Kaito and Heiji in the same wardrobe, lock it and wait some hours. Just for the fangirls to go crazy. xDDD)

(Yay more people in the wardrobe for fun! XD)

* * *

There were just three warehouses with such characteristics near the port; and none of then seemed abandoned, thought obviously that didn't mean they weren't using them. Some hours ago they have been planning what to do. Shinichi and Haibara were almost dead from exhaustion after 24h awake, and they needed a rest, though judging by their looks, they hadn't been able to sleep at all. Five hours after the last indications and what was supposed to be a small rest, Shuichi Akai, Hattori Heiji, Haibara Ai, Kaito Kid and Kudo Shinichi were hidden near the last warehouse they had to check. And there was movement inside. It wasn't sunrise still, and vision was difficult without light, thought Akai had managed to get a night vision glasses that he wore together with his gun. He went first, and Kaito Kid was checking their backs from a safe place while Agasa had set the operation room in his car parked some streets further; there just wasn't a way to convince him of how dangerous this was and why he should stay at home, same as Haibara, that overcoming her fears, had agreed to go with the rest. For Akai, these two kids were running unnecessary risks.

They stopped with a sign of Akai, who took a quick look at the surroundings taking special care not to be seen by the security cameras. But there seemed to be none. This looked every time more and more like a trap; no cameras, no people watching the surroundings… just a black car parked nearby. It just didn't make sense. Akai joined everybody with him and shared what he had seen.

"To be honest, I don't think they are unaware of us being there; most probably they have already spotted us and are waiting for us inside the warehouse. And the worst thing is that we have to go inside one way or another."

"Leave it to me." Kaito Kid answered through the walkie he had. Akai sighed.

"We don't need a stupid, reckless thief to help us. Just control the highs."

"Hey! Don't you dare underestimate me! I can use my tricks to get them by surprise."

"There is absolutely no way you can surprise them; they already know you are with us, they are waiting for you."

"And so police were always too and I always fool them." Kaito said smugly.

"We are talking here the adults, go back home and grow up."

"Enough." Shinichi was on his nerves. "We don't need this, we have to cooperate. If we attack from air and ground don't you think we'll have more possibilities to get them off guard?" He asked to Akai.

"Only if it isn't simultaneous."

"What? Who's this guy, a Jedi?" Kid asked incredulous. "How can it be better not to attack simultaneously and confuse them?"

"If we attack simultaneously, you jackass, first we don't know how many there are, second we cannot look for the hostage if everyone is attacking, third we don't distract their attention to one critical point and leave them with some other off guard. Do you want me to go on?"

"Yeah go on, I'll bring the popcorn."

"Stop damn it!" Haibara raised slightly her voice. "Bunch of idiots… I agree with Akai. Who's with me?"

Everybody raised their hands.

"Anyone there who can tell me what's the result of the vote? 'Cos I'm not seeing you."

"We all raised our hands. Excellent." Haibara said. Heiji laughed.

"OK, I see." Kaito said annoyed through the transmitter. "Loud and clear, don't blame me after this if it goes bad."

"You can always run away if things go wrong." Haibara said in scornful voice.

"Nope, I would never leave comrades like this, besides we have a girl to save. What do you want me to do?"

* * *

"How is the hostage?"

"Alive and conscious, boss"

"Good, keep her like this, we may need her alive later." Gin took his walkie and pressed the button. "What is it, Chianti?"

"Boss we've got a problem. There are more people than we thought. A young boy and a man are with them, and a moment ago they were in my point of view but now are hidden between the port containers. What do I do?"

"Can you recognize who are the newest additions?"

"No boss; the young man has his face uncovered but I've never seen him before. And the man has his face covered."

"Follow the man. I'm not worried about the thief; Korn has him on his view." Gin cut the communication and went to the room where Vermouth was. He opened the door without calling and she smiled while finishing getting dressed.

"Is everything ready?"

"Of course Gin, they will be extremely surprised." She said fixing her clothes. "I bet they never thought of this."

"Well then, let's start with the action."

* * *

"Hey Kudo, a sniper has spotted me, I've seen the laser. What now?" Kaito was hiding behind a container.

"Are you safe where you are?" Shinichi asked.

"I think so, but I better move because they can fire anytime they want or come and get me. Do I start now?"

"Yes, we're ready. Good luck, Kid."

"As if I needed it! OK, here I go!"

Kid threw some balls through the roof windows breaking them, once they got to the floor some started to throw smoke. Immediately the men inside started to fire at the roof, and then the smoke bombs became light bombs. All at the same time they produced a massive quantity of light blinding the men. Kid threw more smoke bombs through the ceiling and then got inside. The very few that could breathe and see started to aim at him and fire without success. He flew from one part of the warehouse to another, creating a chaotic situation inside.

Meanwhile outside Akai was covering Heiji, Haibara and Shinichi who approached the main door. There they left a bomb and ran to the small door on the back. The bomb detonated and caused a big damage on the door, not enough to open it, but to bring men to the door and so Akai could shoot them.

As planned, now Heiji, Haibara and Shinichi had to manage to get inside thanks to the chaos. And then something turned wrong.

From the walkie Kid had, sounded some gun shots and it stopped working. Agasa tried to fix it and get in contact with him but he couldn't.

"Everybody! I've lost communication with Kid! Watch out!" Agasa sent this message. He had been warned; if things went wrong in 5 minutes from the last transmission he had to run away from there, even alone, no matter what.

Akai shot the last man and went to the ladder that rose to the roof. A sniper shot him very near. He answered the fire immediately and hid behind a container.

"Kudo, I'm busy right now, can you manage without me covering your back? There's a sniper I've got in my path and I have to take it down before going where you are."

"Roger, we're fine for now; I think there's enough confusion inside. We'll b-"

And then someone shot.

"Cover!" Shinichi grabbed Haibara and ran to the container nearby. Heiji rolled to the next one.

"Are you OK Heiji?" Shinichi asked his friend full of worry.

"Damn it! Yes, I'm fine; whoever it was has shot me in the arm when he had full perspective to shot me in the head." He grabbed his forearm and pressed it.

"Akai can you hear me? There are two snipers, I repeat, two snipers or more haunting us. We need your help!" Shinichi waited 5 seconds while the sniper shot one more time to the container where Haibara and he were. "Akai?"

"Kuso! Kudo we have to get inside now!" Heiji said covering his forearm with a cloth.

"I know Heiji but you're injured!" Shinichi tried to look but the sniper shot again.

"Get the hell out of here and I'll distract the sniper!"

"Are you utterly crazy! He'll kill you!" Haibara shouted.

"I said run!" And then Heiji ran in the opposite direction to the door. Shinichi got it immediately and grabbing Haibara he ran in the opposite direction. They hid after another container. He could still see Heiji.

"Can you spot the sniper from where you are?" He asked Heiji.

"I think he may be in the warehouse nearby, but I'm not sure."

"My shoes don't get that far, what do we do? He isn't shooting anymore."

"Oh no." Haibara turned pale. "They wanted to divide us. We are alone now Kudo."

Shinichi swore under his breath and looked at Heiji. He used the walkie.

"Heiji they want us. You can run from here if we stay."

"Did you hit your head? No fucking way."

"Heiji I'm not joking!"

"Neither I'm Kudo! How long have we been friends? Do you think I'd leave you like this?"

"Go get the police, warn Agasa and run! We will resist here and try to locate Ran!"

"You two alone? Are you completely crazy?"

"Damn it Heiji I don't want you to get dead!"

"I won't die, I have something to fight for." Heiji's expression changed and he took something from his pocket. "Everybody, cover!"

With this Heiji run outside the container and threw the bomb to the nearest warehouse the highest he reached. The sniper shot and the bomb became a massive quantity of light. "Now Kudo!"

Haibara and Shinichi ran leaving behind the warehouse. They hid inside an abandoned one they had checked before. After looking for a dark and small place, they kept silent for some minutes checking outside from a small break the wall had. Nobody. It was extremely suspicious.

"What do we do now?" Haibara was the first to speak after recovering from the run and the fear.

Shinichi breathed deeply and opened his eyes. His walkie didn't work. They were isolated.

"I hope Heiji is OK and has been able to warn Agasa…" Haibara's voice cracked.

Shinichi nodded. "The walkie is not working, maybe if someone has heard the explosions and shots they have called the police."

Haibara looked at the ground. "Ran…"

Shinichi lowered his head too. Ran. The rage was difficult to manage, and also the despair. Will she be OK? He was so useless in this body, he hadn't been able to do anything to help his friends… And then his walkie revived.

"Shinichi? Shinichi can you hear me?" Agasa's voice could be heard with difficulty.

"Agasa!" Haibara started to cry.

"I can hear you Agasa, everything has gone wrong, we are alone and isolated… I know nothing abou-"

"What are you talking about? Didn't the instructions get to you? We are all together here, in the first warehouse we checked. We are going to leave any moment now!"

Haibara and Shinichi stared at the walkie eyes wide. What the…

"Come here as soon as possible, Akai has given us a safe path to come back but I cannot guarantee it for too long, take the central street where the containers are all red. We are nearby, come quick Shinichi!"

Shinichi looked at Haibara full of doubt. How had they managed?

"It doesn't matter now, we have to go." Haibara woke from the hiding and looked carefully to both sides before leaving it. Shinichi followed her but stopped her grabbing her arm.

"It looks like a trap." He said.

"Then what? If it's a trap it means they know our walkie frequencies, so they heard us all the time and know about Agasa and our escaping route. If it's a trap it's the same if we stay of if we go. Therefore, I go." She freed from his grasp and walk away. Shinichi followed her.

The sun was about to rise, it was colder and darker just before the dawn; Shinichi and Haibara walked carefully through the path Agasa had said, getting on their toes with every step. Silence, a brutal silence surrounded them. And then from behind a container a chubby figure appeared.

"Agasa!" Haibara cried in happiness. She ran to him and he hugged her. Shinichi stood.

"What's wrong Shinichi, come here quick, we have to leave!"

"Dare da."

Haibara turned pale. Only one person could be Agasa if not Agasa himself.

Click click.

The sound of a gun getting ready to be fired came from behind Haibara's head.

"Game over."


	17. Chapter 16

Hello readers! I know we are all enjoying more or less our holidays, still thank you so much for your reviews! This chapter is extra long because after this I'll have to take an obliged stop in my writings and study. Again. Life is unfair... But don't worry because even if it takes me a bit to finish this story I already know how to end it. And believe me when I say this title will fit like a T this fanfic. In fact, I may use this sentence to go for the dramatics… just thinking xD But for now the difficult thing is to create the climax before the end. I mean, I need to reach the expectatives xD because if I told you the end I'm pretty sure you'd help me but then there will be no surprises, don't you think? OK then, enjoy!

The disclaimer that makes us free:

Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed does NOT belong to me, they belong to Gosho Aoyama (and if they belonged to me I will show Ran's underwear a lot more. Just to distract Shinichi in his cases when she's around XD)

* * *

The insides of the warehouse were dusty and old, but Shinichi and Haibara didn't see them; they were blinded and tied, and conducted to a small room which windows had been covered by bricks. Their only source of light was the top of that covered window, where the old bricks were broken. They were thrown inside the room and immediately it was sealed from the outside. Shinichi managed to move against a wall and take off the cloth from his eyes. After checking there were no cameras in the room, he approached Haibara and directed her to a wall so she could do the same. When she finally looked at him, both had the same expression. Haibara tried to bite the adhesive tape covering her mouth and Shinichi did the same.

What was going to happen to them now? Shinichi couldn't stop thinking in Heiji, Agasa, Kaito and Akai. Will they be safe? Both of them started to look around the room trying to find something that could help them escape, but found nothing. Shinichi's glasses, watch, shoes and buckle had been removed, therefore they had even fewer possibilities to attack of defend themselves from attacks if they were to get out of the room. Haibara kept on biting the tape until she broke it. She let out a loud sigh and approached Shinichi to remove with her teeth his. In any other situation both could have blushed, but not now.

"Thank you." Shinichi said after wincing once she had removed it. He did the same with the little she had left after having bitten hers, and she winced too. "What now?"

"I don't know; I don't even know where we are." Haibara sat down on the ground again.

"If only we knew what's around us…" Shinichi looked down.

"We didn't walk a lot until we reached this place, did we?" Haibara tried to remember.

"I think so, but still they did their best to disorientate us. Furthermore we are unable to reach the upper window, so we can't see what's outside. I don't think shouting would a good idea either."

"DamnVermouth." Haibara was angry. "She disguised herself as the professor. I should have thought about it before."

"I know… but it wouldn't have made a difference." Shinichi said. "Now we have to find a way to get out of this room and search inside the warehouse." Haibara looked at him incredulous.

"What? I thought we were going to try escaping from here and look for help!" She hissed.

"I'm not going anywhere till I find Ran." Shinichi answered determined.

"I cannot escape without you, together we are stronger." Haibara pleaded. "We'll bring help and try again."

"It would be too late. She's here, I know."

"Too late? You don't even know if she's alive…" Haibara regretted her words as soon as she said them. Shinichi lowered his head and stared at the ground. "I'm sorry, I know this is what you wish; being able to save her but… you have to be realistic. If she wasn't dead by now, she's most likely to be dead now that we are here. They don't need her for anything else once they have us. It's over Kudo…"

"It might be true, but if there's one possibility of her being alive, even a small one, I'll look for her."

"I don't want to be the one to say this, but damn it, snap it out! Even if she was alive, how where we going to free her? And if she's dead… "

"Go away then. Once we get out this room you can do whatever you want." Haibara winced. He was worried for Ran. Just for Ran. Why was her so angry?

"You are dooming both of us, can't you see that even if I could run they would get me? Either we elope together or look for her together, but we cannot go each one in different ways!"

"I'm staying here." Shinichi said firmly.

Haibara looked at him angrily and then turned her back. "Baka. Aho. Yaro. Stupid. Moron."

"You done?"

"Almost. Let me get out all the angry feelings I have about you so when I'm free from this ties I don't break your neck."

Shinichi smiled slightly. "I'm sorry Haibara."

"No, you are not. Not yet." She looked at him, this time her eyes were sad. "Have you really thought of the possibility of finding her dead?"

"I can't. I need the hope to go on." Shinichi's mind was far away when he said that. Haibara lowered her voice.

"And if she were, what will you do next? You'd crumble into piece right there, you have to think objectively and considerate every option. Be realistic for once Kudo, do you want to die here? Because you have to decide what to do if she's dead."

"That's why I told you to run away without me. I don't know what I shall do if she isn't alive." Shinichi smiled in spite of himself. Of course he knew, but he couldn't say. And he could not fool Haibara.

"OK, next step:" Haibara shook her head and changed her mood quickly "breaking this ties. How?"

"I'll try biting yours and then you can try with mines."

"What are your teeth, razors?" She said mockingly.

"Do you have a better idea?"

* * *

Someone opened the door of the room where Ran was. Ran could barely lift her head, as exhausted as she was. Vermouth entered and closed the door behind her. Slowly and quietly, she knelt behind Ran and cut her ties.

"C'mon Angel, I've got something you have to do, be a good girl." She saved the knife in her pocket and grabbed Ran's face. "Wake up."

"Where are we going?" Ran's voice was barely audible.

"Don't you wanna check if your tantei did reach this place?" Vermouth said devilishly. Ran turned pale.

* * *

"See? I had a better idea then using your teeth." Haibara tossed out the ties after Shinichi had untangled them.

"But I'm pretty sure my method was quicker; untangling without seeing is darn difficult." Shinichi said while Haibara was untangling his ties.

"What now?"

"Climb up my shoulders and try to get to the window."

"I don't know if I'll reach that high, Kudo… you are pretty small for a boy your age." Haibara pointed.

"Hey!" Shinichi smiled and gestured to her to climb. "And you are pretty heavy for a gi- OUCH!"

Haibara punched him in the head. "Shut up and stretch."

"Yeah ma'am." Shinichi was on his tip toes. "Still not reaching?"

"Almost… a lil' bit more, stretch a bit…"

And then they heard a noise. Like a metallic tube being hit. They both awaited in silence.

"What was that?" Haibara said with a panicked whisper.

Steps. Steps directing to their room.

"Kuso! Haibara you have to reach the window!" Shinichi cringed and pressed his body against the wall.

"I can't!" Haibara's hand was only inches from the light.

"I'll stretch further, c'mon, jump!"

Shinichi climbed the wall and stretched an inch, enough for Haibara to reach; she jumped and cling from the last brick that was broken.

"Now get away, quick!"

"I cannot leave you here!"

"I said go away and look for help, run!" Shinichi pushed Haibara's feet until she got half of her body out the window.

And then the door opened. Haibara fell to the ground outside the warehouse and started to run. Two men stared at Shinichi, who was sitting alone in the centre of the room, untied and breathing hoarsely but with a smile in his face.

Obviously offering resistance was useless; they got him and tied him again. One of the men took his phone and dialled; the sound when pressing the number Shinichi knew too well. He was calling Gin.

"Boss… there is ah, trouble. (…) Sherry is not here." From the phone a loud thud could be heard and then the communication was cut. "He's coming."

Shinichi frowned. Gin was coming personally to check what had happened. No doubt he had sent by now men to look for Haibara, since there was only one way to escape from this room. He hoped she could have run away instead of hiding; from the experience before they knew too well they could not hide here.

The door opened. Gin appeared more menacing than ever if possible; his stare frost Shinichi's blood for a moment.

"Where is Sherry?" he asked Shinichi directly; his voice was icy, dangerous.

"I don't know."

Gin took his gun and aimed at Shinichi's knee. "I said: where is Sherry?"

Shinichi kept it as coolly as possible before him. He knew how much it would hurt to be shot in the knee. He wouldn't be able to run if he shot him there.

"She was here, but now I don't know."

Gin smiled "She won't escape. And you'll regret this." He moved his gun from Shinichi's knee and hit him in the head. Shinichi lost consciousness.

When he recovered it, he was in what looked like an interrogatory room, just like police had; a big room divided by a see-through mirror. He didn't know in which of the rooms he was, though; the glass looked like a mirror from his perspective. He wondered what was going on. And then the room at the other side of the glass was lighted. He stared in horror: Ran was there, tied to a metallic chair and looking as if she had been deprived from sleep and food, disorientated and injured.

"Ran, RAN! Can you hear me? RAN!" Shinichi shouted, screamed as loud as possible but she made no move. And then Bourbon appeared in his room.

"She cannot hear you."

"You… I knew it." Shinichi spited the words.

"It' not fair to say 'I knew it' once you've been told, tantei san." Bourbon smiled and approached him. "Want me to explain the rules of this game?"

"Game?" Shinichi gritted his teeth.

"Yes… a trading game. One for the other; you give us what we don't have and we give you what we have. Fair, isn't it?"

Shinichi stared at him in anger. He got it immediately: Ran for Haibara.

"What then, are you going to trade?"

"I'd never trade with you."

"Is that your last answer? Think about it thoroughly." Bourbon was enjoying. Shinichi pierced him with his stare. "I see… you need motivation." He went to the glass and pressed a button in a corner. The door of the room where Ran was tied opened and Vermouth entered. Shinichi stared in horror. "I'll explain you what happens if you don't cooperate; this girl here," Vermouth grabbed Ran's face by the chin and lifted it; she was barely conscious "will receive punishment instead of you. If you speak, she leaves unharmed. If you don't speak, she suffers harm. If you say nonsense, she suffers harm. The game lasts until she cannot receive more punishment. Pretty easy, isn't it?"

Shinichi stared at Bourbon enraged. "I won't speak until she's free."

"No, no, no… I forgot to tell you the rest of the rules. You cannot negotiate, tantei san." Bourbon dialled a number and Vermouth picked her phone. "He's doubtful, Vermouth. What shall we do?" He smiled.

"No, stop it!" Shinichi shouted.

Vermouth approached to Ran and spoke. "He can hear us, Ran." Her expression changed.

"Shinichi? Shinichi!" Ran started to cry. "No, no! Why are you here, no… Shinichi…"

Shinichi gritted his teeth. What could he do, what?

"Well, let's start." Bourbon took a chair and sat in front of Shinichi. "An easy one: where is Sherry?"

"…"

"Vermouth."

Vermouth took a knife and pressed it to Ran's neck.

"No!" Shinichi screamed.

"Where's Sherry?"

"I don't know!"

"Fail. Vermouth."

Vermouth moved the knife and sliced it in Ran's cheek. Ran screamed in pain.

"Stop it, stop! She… she jumped out of the window!"

"Of course." Bourbon tilted his head to one side and smiled. "She could not have banished, right? We want to know where she's gone."

"I don't know, she didn't tell me."

"Fail. Vermouth."

"No, wait! Please wait… if you hurt Ran I won't say a word."

"Again, you don't listen to the rules: you cannot negotiate. Vermouth."

Vermouth took the knife and pressed in to Ran's neck again; it started to bleed slowly.

"I don't know, I don't know! How can I know it?"

"Try." Bourbon smiled.

Shinichi knew Haibara wasn't stupid; she wouldn't go to Agasa's house or any known place. But still he couldn't direct them to the professor.

"In the FBI headquarters."

"Too far from here. Bad guess. You need to concentrate more, tantei san. See? She's suffering."

Ran was shaking in the chair, her eyes closed. Vermouth took the knife from her neck.

"We don't have time for this, I thought you'd be more willing to save her than Sherry, but I see you don't care. Vermouth, try harder you too."

Vermouth tossed out the knife and it ended stabbed in the wall. She looked at the glass, a fierce look that was directed to Bourbon. He smiled and lifted slightly his glasses with his index finger.

"Good girl. You have to be good too, tantei san, or we won't have nothing to trade with."

Vermouth aimed a gun at Ran's head. She started to shake violently and cry.

"Shinichi, Shinichi!"

"No! Stop it, stop! I'll tell, I'll look for her! Let her go and I'll look for Ai, I'll do whatever, stop!"

"What do you know about Sherry, Kudo?" Bourbon wasn't smiling. Shinichi looked at him.

"Take the gun from her head."

"You. Cannot. Negotiate."

Vermouth quit the safe from the gun. Ran closed her eyes.

"OK, OK! She… she told me about the organization, she… was a scientist, she worked here developing the APTX 4869."

"Did she know of the 'effects'?"

"No, no she thought it was effective, a lethal venom."

"Where's the formula?"

"What?" Shinichi was astonished and utterly confused. They had the formula!

"The original formula; she took it with her."

"I don't know, I thought you had it. We were looking for you to recover our bodies."

"But you've been able to become adult from time to time."

"But I don't know how it works, neither does her, she just… we check possibilities but don't have the original… furthermore, it's not effective, it's not effective anymore!"

Bourbon woke from the chair and dialled another number. The sound of the numbers was for Gin. "See, like I told you, Gin; we need Sherry, he's useless."

"No, NO!" Shinichi tried to move from the chair, break the ties, shout louder. "Ask me anything else!"

Bourbon dialled again Vermouth's number and she took it, staring at the mirror as if she could see him. "Do it."

Vermouth closed her mobile with a quick movement, approached to Ran and whispered in her ear. "He can see you."

Ran opened her eyes with a start and stared at the glass. Her red eyes meet with Shinichi's though she couldn't see him. "Shinichi, Shinichi please…help me." shaking with fear, she never stopped looking at the mirror, as if trying to see through. Shinichi started to cry.

"Everything will be OK Ran, it will be OK. Don't worry, I'll do as they wish, please Ran…"

"Sorry, _Angel_."

And she fired the gun.


	18. Chapter 17

***Insert deep apology gift*.**

I'm back. trying to end this story asap because I'm full dedicated to my other fanfic _Withered Flowers_. I hope you enjoy this small chapter, after all the long suspense and wait you've had to suffer from my lack of inspiration. Sorry from my heart. Big hugs for all._  
_

* * *

_It was as if time had stopped; the moment Shinichi saw Vermouth pointing the gun at Ran's head, her finger ready to pull the trigger, his mind went blank. And then a series of happenings he couldn't explain. Before he could see it, Bourbon made a strange move and pushed him away, making the chair he was tied to lose its balance and thus Shinichi fell to the ground. And then he heard it; two shoots, one muffled by the bullet-proof glass that made his breathing stop. And the later, so quick after the first one, going penetrating the glass. Time seemed to have stopped. He couldn't blink. He just stared with eyes wide with shock, at the body lying before him only seconds ago transpiring, now unmoving. Seconds ticked like hours in the infinite time, now that everything seemed to have stopped. And he could only stare at the body lying before him. And then time started to flow again._

Gin closed his phone and turned to Akai emotionless.

"It was extremely confident coming from someone like you to think we will be waiting inside the warehouse."

Gin approached Akai, who was tied and had been captured after being surrounded by Korn and Chianti.

"To think you were one of my most valuable preys, and it was so easy to get you. What has been of you?"

Akai had had very few to do, having two snipers, one in front and another in the back aiming at him.

"I got tired of you chasing me and I stopped."

Akai answered calmly. Gin's eyes narrowed.

"By the way, shouldn't I be dead by now, or are you sad for having to kill me?"

Gin took his gun and aimed at Akai's head.

"There's nothing I'd want more than killing you, but right now I have a slightly different order of priorities."

He smiled and saved his gun.

"Starting with the traitor. Your execution can wait for a time I can enjoy it more."

He turned his back and before going out the room said not looking back,

"Oh, I'm leaving someone here to keep you company."

Gin smiled mischievously and opened the door and Vodka came in cracking his knuckles. Akai smiled crookedly.

"Nice to see you again, big boy."

::::::::::  
********

"It's only a matter of time; once they check this two" Heiji kicked the head of one of the unconscious men they had taken down while escaping, "are not answering their calls, they'll come for us."

He winced in pain uncovering his injured arm.

"Be calm tantei," Kaito torn a small piece of the cloth from his parachute and helped wrapping it around Heiji's arm, "the good thing is that they seem to be pretty busy; the bad thing is that it means either they are still pursuing Kudo or they already have him."

Kaito had miraculously escaped from the bullets' rain thanks to the aluminium cover of the warehouse, which acted as a hiding until the shooting stopped. After this he ran above the warehouse and found Heiji running between the containers.

"Tch. kuso." Heiji couldn't hide his anger and deceive. "I couldn't help them."

"Neither could I. But this ain't over yet: that ol' man ran away as far as we know. If he's safe, we still have an opportunity."

"You mean we have to resist here as much as possible until the help arrives." Heiji didn't sound very confident.

"Of course, as much as possible is not longer than 2 hours, maybe 3 if we are lucky. I hope he's quick thinking, 'cos there's only one place he can go and get help."

"And what will you do, once the FBI comes here? Will you ran away?" Heiji smiled.

"That depends on you." Heiji looked at him in disbelief. "Without your help there's no way I can escape this time; it's up to you to let me be caught here." Both men smiled.

"Then let's settle this in the mid term; I won't stop you but I won't help you either."

Kaito smiled and stretched his hand. "Deal. Now, on this arm of yours... "

:::::::  
*****

Haibara ran. She ran as fast as her small legs could handle, as much as her small body let her. She ran for her life, cursing and crying. She had left Shinichi behind, awaiting for a sure death. It was his decision, and yet she couldn't believe that, in the last moment, she had agreed to it. She should have stayed. Either both of them escaped or they stayed both. The survival instinct didn't let her stop running though, she couldn't stop. If they caught her it will be over, all the sacrifices Shinichi had done would be for nothing. She had to run and find help. She had to reach help. Before it was too late, before she lost Shinichi...

Shoots were heard in the distance, lights stated chasing her, she could hear dogs barking. She was lost, running in a place she didn't know. If she couldn't escape, if she couldn't-

And then, for the second time in the night, a hand grabbed her arm and dragged her to a place, while she felt as if her heart was going to explode from the scare.

:::::::  
*****

Agony. Hell on Earth. First shoot reverberated through the room. Coolness covered Shinichi's body, his ears were ringing, he couldn't feel, he couldn't see a thing from his perspective. His mind was blocked with a lone thought. _A__pool__of__blood_. The thought made him so sick he was about to throw up, to faint from the intensity of the pain. Shinichi knew how it was like to be shot in the head, he had seen the victims' state afterwards. And this was definitely beyond the limits of his sanity; he could not look, he dared not to check. If she had been murdered like this he wished he could die at that very moment; and now that she was dead they couldn't blackmail him any more, there was no reason to speak, he would accept willingly punishment for his silence, in fact he desperately seek for dead if Ran wasn't alive.

Another shot. This one was louder than the other, just a second had passed. Was Ran alive after that forst shoot? Had Vermouth finished her work? Glass falling everywhere. Pieces of glass covering the ground, covering his head. Was he injured? He recognised the sound of a body falling to the ground behind him. And then more noises, like someone rushing and stepping on broken glass.

"Snap it out, _silver__bullet_! You have to run away!"

Shinichi tried to rise his head from the position he was in, someone was untying him from the chair that had fell leaving him upwards, but he was still in catatonic state. What had that woman said...? That woman? Shinichi blinked and the catatonic state disappeared, leaving in front of him a scene he had not known how or when had happened.

Vermouth was on her knees near him, untiying him from the chair; he looked at his right and saw the place where a mirror was minutes ago, now broken. Had that been the shooting? Who shot?

Bourbon lying in the ground wounded in his chest, unmoving. Was he dead?

"Come back, tantei!" Vermouth slapped Shinichi and when he looked at her again he saw Ran lying next to her, her back pressed against the wall, her head hunging as if she was...

"Ran!"

"She's alive, though she fainted due to the shock." Vermouth looked around and they both heard people come running. "We have to run, they are coming!"

Shinichi followed Vermouth, who carried with difficulty Ran's unconscious body, and they ran away from the place.


End file.
